


A Tail of Two Worlds

by amisimple



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: +Bonus, M/M, Oneshot, Rated M for Emotional and Sexual Situations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-01
Updated: 2015-01-02
Packaged: 2018-03-04 18:09:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 23,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3079187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amisimple/pseuds/amisimple
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Captain Levi is known across the seven seas as humanity's bravest and most notorious sailor of all time. Nobles far and wide employ Levi and his crew to hunt for specific treasures from across the seas. Whether it be a chain of pearls or the skin of a kraken, the captain had yet to fail.</p><p>Eventually hearing of this talented sailor and his perfect reputation, the king himself calls upon Levi and bestows him the most difficult task of them all:</p><p>To bring him one of the merfolk from the very depths of the sea to add to his collection of rare sea creatures...</p><p>Alive...or dead.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Tail of Two Worlds

"Captain! The winds are getting too strong! We should turn back again and settle out again tomorrow!"

Levi slammed his fist angrily on his desk, his fury emanating throughout the room, startling his fellow crew member.

"No," he snarled. "We've been heading here and turning back for the past two days, and the winds have only gotten worse and worse each time. This is no ordinary storm. This is an enchantment. It's trying to keep us from something beyond that passage."

The crew member's eyes widened in understanding. "Don't tell me it's..."

Levi smiled with a diabolical wickedness. "That four-eyes rarely ever predicts anything wrong despite her appearance," he spoke.

"The mermaid cove," uttered the crew member. "It really is through there."

"Which means we have no choice but to brute force our way through," the captain concluded, rolling up the map on his table. "Besides, even if we turn back empty-handed, that tyrant of a king is going to stick us all under the guillotine anyways."

"But...if it's true that it's a dark enchantment, there's no way we can..." The sailor's voice trailed off.

Levi carefully slid the map into one of his compartments and stared out the door of his study, his eyes unreadable as he observed the terrifying black clouds that were slowly looming above them. He stood up wordlessly, tightening his cravat as he walked past his crew member.

As he opened the door to the raging storm, he said a few last words before heading out:

"Like I said, we have no choice," said the captain. "So let's try to keep it clean, shall we?"

~<

It was as if an axe had been driven into Levi's skull.

The pain was making him delirious. Was he even conscious? It was hard to tell. There was nothing to see, and he wasn’t to hear a thing.

_What happened?_

He did his best to recall his faint memory. The storm tore through the ship, the winds pulling everything and everyone out of place. At some point, he had lost control of the helm, the ship making a perilous course towards the edge of the passage. He remembered the terrible shrieks as they went through the worst of it. Underneath the influence of the ravaging winds, rocky debris started cascading down on them merciless.

The last coloured vision he remembered was drenched in crimson: blood, so much blood, so much more than he could've ever imagined in his ugliest nightmares.

And now, there was only black.

A pain tore through his chest, unlike anything physical he had felt yet.

Captain Levi was ruined. For the first time ever, he was utterly and completely done for.

~<

After what had seemed like decades, Levi's eyes creaked open, only to turn away from the unpleasant and startling sensation of sunlight. His mind was still throbbing, but the pain had subsided enough so that he could actually focus on his surroundings.

The first thing he felt was that he was lying on something soft, and after adjusting, the grainy texture gave away that it could only be sand. When he had braced himself enough to open his eyes fully, he was greeted by a clear and blue sky, much unlike what he had been through earlier. A light and cool, gentle breeze brushed through his hair and skin, caressing and comforting him.

Feeling slightly more reassured, Levi managed to wrack up enough confidence to try sitting up so he could actually see where he was.

"Argh!" Levi let out an agonizing groan as he clutched on the side of stomach, discovering a new pain which he had been completely unaware of until now. Tears leaked out the corners of his eyes. He retreated back to his former position, abhorred by his own state of uselessness.

"You really shouldn't have done that.”

Levi gasped at the sound of another human's voice coming from behind him. Startled, he jolted his head backwards towards the sound of the voice. He found himself staring at a pair of glowing green eyes looking down at him.

"You're finally awake," the owner of those eyes spoke. A playful glint shone through his captivating pupils as he smiled at the captain. Upon closer inspection, the stranger was merely a young boy, the pure aura of his smile and the careless tousle in his messy, brown hair a direct indication of this fact.

In his condition, Levi could not move nor jump away according to his instincts. Instead, he settled on initiating some questions.

"Where am I?" Levi asked. "How long have I been here?"

"How rude. Your first question should have been 'Who are you?''" the boy responded.

 _Tch, he's got an attitude._ Levi thought.

The alluring boy dipped his face down closer to Levi's face, barely touching noses with him. His fingers wrapped coyly around the captain's face, tracing his jawline and his lips.

"You know, that's the first question I wanted to ask you," he spoke. "I was curious enough to save your life after all."

Levi struggled underneath the unfamiliar touch, causing the boy to back away. "Let go of me, you brat! Why are you even touching me?"

He could hear a sigh from above him. "Need I remind you again? I just saved your life. You should at least be a little more grateful of it."

"If you wanted praise or gratitude, you chose to wrong person to rescue," Levi replied heartlessly.

"Fine, if that's how it's going to be," the boy sighed. "Maybe I shouldn't have bothered with you at all."

Levi said nothing, too exhausted to hold a childish conversation at this point.

"Can I ask least know your name?" the stranger insisted. "Maybe that way I'll know who to avoid next time."

The captain hesitated for a moment, but then succumbed to the idea that this person was merely a harmless, naive, young boy.

"It's Levi," he said quickly.

Silence followed the mention of his name. He wondered what the boy was thinking.

After a while, the boy finally spoke: "Suits you, Levi. My name's Eren."

"I didn't ask."

"Well, I'm afraid with that body you're not going anywhere anytime soon. And you're going to need a lot of favours from others. And seeing as I'm the only one here...you'll need to call my name to ask for my help now, don't you?"

" _Tch_ , annoying brat..."

"No, not brat. _Eren_. E-R-E-N. Eren."

"Be quiet for a second and just help me up... _Eren_."

Levi swore he could _feel_ the boy cracking an obnoxious grin from behind him.

"See, I knew you'd come around," came his voice. And before Levi knew it, he felt a pair of strong arms supporting him, one behind his back and the other around his waist.

It was then that Levi noticed Eren's arms were completely bare, much like the rest of his upper body. The boy's arms were tan and smooth, with just the right amount of muscular emphasis to them.

Eren settled Levi on what felt like a smooth rock. At last, the captain could finally observe his surroundings. It appeared to be an empty isle of nothing but sand and rock in the middle of nowhere. How the boy managed to bring him here was incomprehensive to Levi.

Levi realized his captain's jacket and boots were gone, along with his cravat. He was still wearing his shirt and pants, but they were tattered and soaked in red.

Instinctively, he turned towards Eren. "Hey, brat, what'd you do with my clothe—why are you in the water?"

And it was true. For some reason, Eren was bobbing gently where the edge of the sand met the water, evidently swimming waist-deep in the ocean.

The boy acted as if his actions were completely normal, and even appeared quite startled by the question.

"I could ask you the same about why you're _not_ in the water," Eren retorted.

Levi became annoyed. "Just get out of there, brat. I won't bite. Rather, I can't," he snapped. "Save yourself from the pruny toes."

"Pruny...what?"

"I don't need another person getting sick. Just get out, the water's cold."

Eren hesitated. "Not really, but I mean...if you insist..."

Levi watched intently as the boy gave a great heave and pulled himself out of the water.

Levi's eyes widened. "What the—!"

A burst of blue and green flashed in his eyes, glinting brightly underneath the sunlight. The sand glowed underneath the reflection of what seemed to be a million tiny mirrors. Everything was bright and shrouded in a mist of turquoise.

Levi could barely believe what he was seeing right in front of his eyes.

"What? Are you finally at a loss for words?" Eren smirked arrogantly.

And that's exactly what Levi was. He could only stare, transfixed and silent at the unbelievable sight in front of him. Why hadn't he realized it before? It all seemed too ironic. The sun-kissed skin, the alluring eyes...it suddenly all made sense.

To assure his mind one more time, Levi's eyes traced the lines of Eren's body once again. He followed the firm chest down to his pelvis where the skin suddenly faded into a lovely shade of emerald green that seemed unnatural. The edge of the skin ended with a texture of scales that mirrored every ray of sunlight whenever he moved.

"You're a merman," Levi finally uttered. The sentence sounded cheesy even to his own ears after he said it.

Eren scoffed, but the twinkle in his eyes proved that he was far from annoyed.

"Took you long enough." he teased, as he flicked his long, magnificent tail playfully.

Levi's mind slowly returned to its normal state, as he looked the boy up and down.

"I thought the merfolk are known across the seas for being seductive to the point of ruin to a human's life," Levi remarked. "It's amazing how much rumours can be exaggerated in the end."

Levi felt twistedly satisfied as the smile disappeared from Eren's face, content that the boy's obvious ego had been thwarted. The smile was shortly replaced with a scowl.

"Geeez...the more you speak, the more I regret bothering with you at all," the merman whined, swinging his tail up and down again.

"For god's sake, can you stop flicking that _thing_ around?" Levi complained. "It's so goddamn distracting."

Something sparked in Eren as the glimmer returned in his eyes. He suddenly leaned closer to Levi with that same spirited smile on his face.

"Hmm? So I _am_ distracting?" Eren jeered. He was suddenly _really_ close to Levi, close enough so that the captain could feel his warm breath on his cheek.

The sensation was too much for Levi.

"Get away from me, you— ** _ARGHHH!_** "

In his attempt to get away, Levi had forgotten that his body was in no condition for such violent movement. A pain shot through his stomach, and he immediately crumpled over in agony.

Eren stared down at his patient pitilessly. "Serves you right for being so arrogant."

Though his words were cold, his expression slowly faded into gentle concern as Levi started hacking out a forced cough that seemed to send spasms through his entire body.

"You really are useless right now, huh?" Eren sighed. "And I can tell you're really bothered by it because you aren't usually like this, are you?"

Levi glared at Eren to compensate for his inability to speak. The captain certainly didn't want the boy to know that he was pretty much on point.

"What a burden," Eren lamented. "Stay here. I'll be right back."

Levi watched in amazement as Eren suddenly flew in a high arch into the ocean in front of him. His arms stretched out daintily in front. His tail had flared out brilliantly beneath the sunlight and his body beautifully curved and slender. As Eren disappeared gracefully beneath the water, Levi did everything he could to deny the fact that his heart had definitely skipped a beat.

Eren's absence allowed Levi a moment to recollect his thoughts and get himself together.

The sinister ambition within him suddenly realized how convenient it was that Eren had been the one to rescue him. Though Levi still didn't have his ship, nor his crew, the ultimate prize that he had risked all their lives for had practically offered itself up to the captain. Not only would he escape a death sentence by bringing this stunning merman to the king alive, but he would also bring to himself and his crew the fame and fortune which they had desired for so long.

And all he had to do was deceive Eren.

As the sun started to dim beneath the horizon, Levi became more and more resolute with his twisted plan. The calm ocean surface suddenly burst, splashing vibrantly onto Levi's recently dried clothes. Eren had finally returned, a blazing smile on his face and his eyes twinkling beautifully as he tossed his sodden hair to side. In his hand, he clutched a colourful bunch of peculiar-looking corals, which he swung frantically in the air.

"I brought your treatment!" Eren smiled excitedly.

An unexpected shame arose within the captain when he saw the lively smile. Levi even startled himself when he found he had to look away.

Suddenly, Levi felt a strange tickling on his chest and he looked down to see the merman playing with one of the few remaining buttons on his torn up shirt.

"What is this weird thing...?" Eren mumbled. He gave it a sharp tug, and the upper button came flying off, baring his chest a little as it disappeared into the white sand.

"Oi, watch it, brat!" Levi scolded, annoyed that his clothing was being defiled even more than it already was.

"This is what you guys call clothing, isn't it? I don't get what the point of it is..." Eren was muttering, poking around the fabric on Levi's stomach. "All it's doing is getting in the way..."

"Oi, brat, if you need to undo my shirt, just do it normally. I don't need your being amazed by every little new thing you see. Just push the round part through the hole."

"I don't get why you're being such a stickler. It's already ruined anyway..."

But nonetheless, he followed Levi's directions carefully and did as he was told, slowing unbuttoning the remnants of Levi's shirt all the way down until it fell open at his side.

Eren gasped as the ghastly wound on Levi's side was revealed at last. The crimson was stained with vulgar tints of darker red and black as it seemed to eat away at the man's skin, covering nearly half of his stomach. It was a miracle that Levi had managed to endure it for so long.

"That bad, huh?" Levi commented when Eren had been quiet for awhile. "Believe it or not, I've had worse moments."

Eren seemed repelled by the gory sight for a moment, but then gritted his teeth and commenced his treatment.

"Who would've thought humans had such high tolerance for pain," he spoke.

Eren grabbed a yellow strand of coral he'd brought from earlier, and tore a cloth-sized piece off using his teeth. Immediately, he pressed the coral against Levi's wound, cleaning it up as much as he could. Lev found himself wincing at the stinging pain.

"Oi, brat, are you sure that's safe to use on me?" Levi grimaced. "The saltwater is kind of stinging a little bit."

"Don't worry, it's just sponge coral," Eren replied, as he continued dabbing away diligently. "We merpeople use it for medical purposes all the time."

"You seem to have forgotten that I _am_ human."

"Relax," Eren's voice was calming. "Our upper bodies are the same."

"Tch. You're a bit cheeky, aren't you, brat?" But nonetheless, Levi found himself concurring to Eren's actions.

"How did this happen anyways?" Eren asked, as he put down the stained yellow coral and picked up the pale blue one. "For you to be out this far in the sea, and to be injured this brutally?"

Levi rested his head limply back onto the slab of stone, as Eren started wrapping his stomach with the thinner blue coral. He gazed wistfully into the distance for moment before he spoke:

"I was foolish in my judgment, and in a moment of greed, I led my crew into a perilous situation. I knew it was an enchantment, yet I still gave the order to send the ship recklessly into the storm. It's a miracle I didn't lose my own life in there...though perhaps I may have deserved it."

"Wait a minute," said Eren abruptly. "You're a _sea captain_?"

Levi's thoughts shattered as he realized he had dropped his guard too much. It hadn't even been a few minutes and already he had revealed his occupation to Eren. At this rate, he may not even be able to get back to the mainland, let alone con Eren.

He tried to play it off. "Hmm...I don't think I mentioned that," Levi spoke. "What gave you that assumption?"

"Well, from what you said just now," said Eren. "You have a crew whom you give orders to on a ship. What else could you possibly be?"

Levi shuffled uncomfortably as Eren's hands glided to the other side of Levi's abdomen, slowly fixing the makeshift bandage into place.

"Not bad, brat," Levi acknowledged at last.

Eren looked up, the green in his eyes as alluring as ever. "What? My deduction or my patching up?"

"...both."

Even Levi couldn't brace himself for Eren's overly joyous smile with the utterance of just that single word. His face was shining as if Levi had just given him the greatest compliment in the world. For a moment, just a moment, Levi accepted it to be endearing. He allowed himself to become temporarily captivated by the boy's purity.

"Oi, brat, don't look so happy like that," said Levi with the slightest smile on his face.

"I'm sorry," Eren blushed. "I know it's really cheesy but... It’s nice to feel like I'm finally being acknowledged by you."

Levi was taken aback. Thanks to Eren's bandaging, he managed to straighten himself up a little more against the rock, so that he could properly look at the merman.

"Why would on Earth would you want something like that?" Levi asked.

Eren said nothing and only turned away, his hands fiddling and trembling nervously. His brown hair had shielded his eyes from Levi's interpretations. His beautiful tail flipped back and forth restlessly.

"It's nothing...I...I just blurted out the first thing that was on my mind," Eren answered, without looking back. "You're a captain. Which means you're a respectable figure, so who wouldn't want your acknowledgement..."

"Eren..." Levi started. But when he noticed the discomfort, he decided that Eren simply didn't want to talk right now. He decided to give it a rest and change the topic, in order to return Eren's favour.

"You know why I'm here," said Levi. "So what was a merman like you doing out here anyways?"

Eren appeared flustered. "Well, we're merpeople. We live practically everywhere in the ocean."

"Nice try. Humans tend to believe merfolk are just swimming around disperesly all the time but that isn't really true. Just as we humans cannot be found everywhere on the mainland, you merpeople also have colonized locations where you reside and call home. Seeing as your kind is rare, there aren't many of these around today and the closest destination around here happens to be the Mermaid Cove, a secluded underwater sanctuary hidden by numerous spells and enchantments."

Eren was stunned. "Wow, you seem to know a lot about us merfolk."

Levi cursed at himself yet again for being so careless. "It's one of the basics one ought to know as a traveler of the sea," he managed to cover up. "Besides, you haven't answered my question yet." Levi's stern eyes bore into Eren's faltering ones, to eradicate any chance of the boy trying to lie again.

"Fine," Eren gave in. "It may sound completely stupid but...I swam away from home."

Levi was quiet for a moment, buffering the abnormal phrasing of the sentence. When it finally clicked, he had to refrain himself from rolling his eyes at the brat.  
  
"Of course, what else would it be for a brat like you?" Levi sighed.

"Hey! I had to leave because of a very sensitive reason!" Eren cried.

Levi scoffed coldly. "What? Your parents refused to buy you that new pet seahorse you've always wanted?"

"What?! No!"

"Then what was it?"

Eren resumed his embarrassed appearance as he broke eye contact with Levi again. The captain was starting to feel quite annoyed. He had unable to hide his own reasons from Eren yet here the boy was, trying to get away with it by acting all shy and innocent. At this rate, his entire plan was going to be foiled, and the merman was going to end up having his way with him instead.

Without thinking, Levi reached out and clutched Eren's arm, grabbing his attention.

"Oi, brat, you found out why I'm here, so why can't you jus—"

Levi stopped mid-sentence when he saw that Eren was now looking at him. His tousled hair had fallen apart and he could now see the merman's vivid eyes, highlighted with the orange of the sunset. But this time, they shone differently, as there were shimmering tears leaking out their corners. Levi was held in awe by the sight. Although they were lined with sadness, there was a hidden tenacity hidden deeper within the emerald.

It was this concealed resolve that made Eren suddenly so alluring to Levi.

Levi leaned forward as best he as could and grabbed both of Eren's wrists with his hand as he desperately tried for amendment. "I'm sorry, Eren, I didn't intend to be so hurtful if I did..."

His heart was thumping in his chest. With the way Eren was looking at him, it was as if Levi himself was the entirety of the reason behind the merman’s sudden sensitivity.

Levi let go of one of Eren's hands and reached up towards where a tear was sliding down his cheekbone. He pressed gently into the young boy's skin and swiped the droplet away, his firm hand caressing Eren's cheek. Eren flinched at the sudden contact, and his eyes widened as he stared back at Levi in disbelief.

The captain slowly lifted Eren's face so that their eyes were level with one another again.

"Eren...I'm really sorry, I shouldn't have prodded. I won't do that again," Levi spoke, not letting go of Eren. "I just want you to be comfortable with me from now on, alright?" The words carelessly spilled out of Levi's mouth before he even knew what he was saying.

But it definitely seemed worth it when Eren stared back at him with such a longing and hopeful look, the tears slowly coming to a stop. Before Levi could help himself, he found himself being drawn in by the merman, as if he were under a spell. The sane part of him desperately tried to pull away, but it was to no avail.

"Levi..." Eren whispered.

In a heartbeat, Eren threw his arms around Levi and hid his face in the captain's shoulder. Levi almost gasped as he could feel Eren's rugged breathing through the thin fabric of shirt, and every little sniffle that Eren tried to hold back. It was as if Eren was desperate for Levi, as he clutched onto him with such intense desire that caused Levi to be at a loss for breath.

Against his will, Levi wrapped one of his arms around Eren's waist as if to comfort him, his eyes softening as he touched the bare skin.

"It'll all be okay..." Levi said in a voice that did not belong to him.

"Levi..." Eren was sobbing again.

Levi's mind was torn. Here was his prey, draped around him, vulnerable and needy, yet instead of the ambition and desire as he usually felt, his head was swimming with compassion and sympathy. He ought to have been disgusted with himself, yet he felt no emotion of the sort. He could only feel Eren's arms wrapped tightly around him, the smooth feeling of his skin barely beneath his fingertips, and his breathing heavy and erratic on his shoulder.

"Levi...please let me stay with you..." Eren murmured suddenly, his arms becoming tighter around the captain's back.

The captain's heart skipped a heart as Eren's soft voice reached his ears. Eren's body suddenly felt quite still around him. When he finally found the courage the look down, he saw that the merman had managed to drift into a peaceful sleep, his auburn hair glowing beautifully beneath the light of dusk.

Levi nudged his mouth over and pressed it lightly onto Eren's ear as he put his other arm around Eren's waist. With only the rhythmic sounds of the softly splashing waves and the gentle breeze of the lost isle sifting through his hair, Levi remained within Eren's arms, and Eren in his. His heartbeat had become irregular a long time ago, and he felt as if it was about to burst. He pressed his lips into Eren's head one last time before he allowed the fatigue to wash over him, slowing fading away along with the remaining sunlight.

Before he drifted away completely, Levi recalled one last thought in his mind:

_Is this how it feels to be seduced by a merman...?_

~<

Dawn seemed to arrive much too quickly for Levi that morning, and when his eyes finally fluttered open, he found his body enveloped in an uncommonly pleasant warmth. He looked down to see a messy head of brown hair draped all over his chest, slightly covering a pair of closed eyes. The sleeping face was so lovable, and Levi couldn't help but tenderly run his fingers through the soft strands of the merman's hair.

"Eren..." he whispered softly.

Something provoked him, and suddenly, more than anything, Levi did not only want to feel Eren's hair with only his fingers. How it would feel if he pressed his lips so gently on Eren's headf as they were still wrapped up together like this, Levi wanted to know. As he bent down, his eyes shone with a delicate emotion he never knew he possessed.

_"And by the way, if you fail, consider everything you and your friends have worked for up to this point........done for."_

Levi gasped as the king's words echoed in his mind. His eyes widened as he snapped his back upwards, straightening himself at once. Without any rationalization, he suddenly pushed Eren away as if he were a monster and backed himself against the rock, a terrified expression on his face.

The rude awakening jolted Eren out of his reverie when he looked up to see the deranged sight of the captain before him.

"What's wrong?!" he exclaimed. "Are you okay? Was it a nightmare?" He crawled back up to the captain, touching his face carefully with one hand.

The maniac look remained in Levi's eyes, and he lacked awareness of Eren's uneasiness.

"Stop it! Don't look at me like that!" Eren yelled. "Levi!"

With the last cry of his name, Levi finally realized that Eren was right there in front of him, looking panic and concern written on his face.

"Eren..." said Levi, reaching up to touch Eren's hand. "I'm sorry. It seems I've been having nightmares recently..."

"Oh, thank goodness!" Eren cried, throwing his arms around Levi again. "For a moment I thought you'd...well you were..."

"What is it Eren?"

They locked eyes with each other, Levi desperately trying not to get distracted by the glowing emerald, before Eren spoke again:

"Well, you were looking at me like I was some sort of monster..."

Levi felt an uncomfortable pang in his chest when Eren tightened his arms around him again.

_No...no, I cannot get used to this warmth. This is only an enchantment after all. No rational human could fall for someone after knowing them for barely a day. It's only because he's a merman, and this is what merpeople do to humans..._

Levi slowly pushed Eren away, doing his best to make it seem as natural as possible. The distraught and confused look that Eren returned made him realize that he'd failed. He kept his grip on Eren's shoulder, and avoided the boy's flustered eyes.

"Levi...?"

"You should stop doing that, Eren," Levi said abruptly. "We barely know each other so you shouldn't be throwing yourself at me like this. I only accepted it the first time because I didn't want to make you feel uncomfortable."

"But—"

"No, Eren," Levi continued. "You don't know what kind of man I truly am. You don't know what secrets I hide and you don't even know if I have pure intentions towards you. I could be taking advantage of you right at this very moment, so please, stop acting so vulnerable. We live in two different worlds. We may even have different morals. And even if we ever do become fond of each other, we can never stay together forever."

Eren was silent. Or rather, he seemed to be at a loss for words. The look on his face was devastating.

_Oh yes...this is the look I'm going to have to get used to._

"That being said, I'd rather it go back to the way it was when we first met," Levi said coldly. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm starving mad. Is there anything to eat around here?"

For a moment, Levi truly thought Eren was going to cry. But when he blinked again, every sign of sadness had disappeared. Eren was smiling normally as if the hurtful words had never been uttered. Levi even wondered if he had imagined everything.

_Perhaps I overreacted...?_

"Of course, captain! I'll find some food for you!" he responded excitedly.

"Thank you, Eren," Levi tried to smile.

The merman waved gleefully and dove gracefully into the sea again, disappearing from Levi's sight at once. The captain shuffled uncomfortably against the rock, doing his best to deny all the misery that was going through his own mind.

~<

Days passed by, and, as expected of Eren's loyalty, Levi was once again treated comfortably as he had been on the first day. Eren did not touch Levi unless he was fixing his bandage, nor did they discuss their personal lives or emotions with one another again.

But Eren's cordiality was something that Levi could not ignore. Even after such harsh words had been spoken to him, Eren's courtesy towards Levi did not falter one bit. Eren did everything he could to make Levi comfortable on that island, and not once did he utter a complaint. And that constantly stunning smile of his: Levi would be lying if he said it didn't make him feel at least a little better. He hadn't been at peace like this in a long time. It was as if Levi was being nursed to health in his own little paradise, with a beautiful merman to tend to him.

One day, when he had finally lost track of time, Levi found that even the rational, realistic side of himself was starting to grow fond of Eren. The boy was more reliable than any other crew member he'd had before, and his overwhelming kindness was uncommon.

Usually on cold mornings, when he would be rudely awoken by uncomfortable chills, Levi would end up staring out into the vast ocean and ponder through his thoughts. And so, it was one of these days that the captain realized something with a pang in his heart.

Not only had the insane part of him been fully charmed by the merman: his stubborn side was starting to falter as well. At this rate, both his mind and body was going to be overwhelmed completely by Eren.

~<

On one particular evening, after a particular pleasant day of rest, Levi felt a comfortable sensation in his stomach and awoke to find that all the pain had been subsided. He managed to stand up effortlessly, and was surprised by the efficiency of Eren's treatments.

For the first time, Levi could explore the tiny isle of sand on his own feet. Naturally, there was nothing more than rock and sand as he suspected, but somewhere along the way this place had become a wonderful paradise.

As always, Eren was nowhere to be seen. He always seemed to be present and fully awake when Levi woke up, but never when he fell asleep. This had been the consistent pattern since the last time they spent the night together. Not once had Levi seen Eren's sleeping face since then.

Today, he found his heart was pounding in anticipation for Eren's return. He couldn't wait to thank him for all that he'd done.

The captain walked on the edge of the sand, his bare feet soothed by the gentle waves and his body caressed by the calm breeze. As he scanned the dimming horizon, his keen eye caught sight of something glistening in the distance.

Levi felt his breath catch his throat as he realized it was none other than Eren, flying out of the waters and twirling beneath the setting sun. His normally messy hair seemed to glisten with the effects of water as it framed his lovely face. His body was slender and graceful, his arms outstretched as he glided through the skies with an unspeakable elegance. His long, shimmering tail switched from radiating azure to dazzling emerald and then back again, as it was illuminated by the light. It was truly a sight to be seen.

But most captivating of all was the merman's expression. As Eren dove into the water and came spinning back out again, Levi couldn't helped but feel touched by the freedom and exhilaration shining on Eren's face. His eyes were filled with bliss, glimmering even brighter than usual. Both his body and mind seemed at peace, as if this was what he had been born to do. He had become the embodiment of what Levi had always aspired to be when he was younger: tranquil and free. As Levi caught sight of that brilliant smile, he felt an aching pain in his chest, something that had nothing to do with his wounds.

"Beautiful..." he whispered.

And it was in that moment, that Levi knew he had been completely won over by the merman. He held his fist to his chest, trying to contain the violent heartbeat beneath as he resolved to himself that he would never, ever do anything to harm this beautiful creature. There was no denying anymore, that he would go to the ends of the world to protect the merman, and that he had felt more than just fondness for Eren for a long time now.

It didn't matter that he wouldn't have a prize to offer the king anymore. It didn't matter that he would lose everything that he'd worked for up until this point. He felt as if he could stay on this empty island forever if he had too.

Because all he needed was Eren.

Levi's heart jumped a mile when he realized Eren had noticed him watching. Before he knew it, Eren burst out of the water right in front of him, smiling brighter than he had ever seen before. The water dripped off his lean chest in crystals, and he shook the rest out of his hair before speaking to Levi.

"You can walk and stand now! I'm so glad!" he exclaimed, unable to contain his delight.

"It's all thanks to you," Levi smiled. He extended a hand out to the floating Eren. "C'mere."

Eren appeared confused for a moment but shortly obliged as Levi pulled him out of the water. In one fluid motion, Levi swept Eren off his tail, carrying firmly him in his arms. His fingers barely touched Eren's waist, though he kept a firm grip on the surprisingly smooth tail.

"Easy there, captain!" Eren cried. "You've just healed completely!"

"I'm fine," Levi replied. "Besides, you're as light as a _fish_."

"You're not clever, I hope you know that."

Eren said no more as Levi carried him over to him of the rocks. Carefully, Levi settled him down so that he was sitting on it, his back leaning against another rock. The entire time, the captain noticed that the merman would not stop giving him the most eccentric looks.

"What is it?" he finally inquired. "Do I have something on my face?"

Eren continued studying Levi. "No, it's just...you must be really happy now that you're back to normal, aren't you?"

"What makes you say that?"

"Well...that was the first time I saw you smile like that. And you're treating me so nicely..."

Levi smirked as dipped his head closer to Eren's face, barely enough to touch. "Like this?" he asked slyly.

"Yes," Eren responded innocently, not moving away from Levi. "But it was a bit kinder before..."

"Well get used to it, brat," Levi sneered, backing away. "Because I'm going to be doing it more often from now it."

Levi was taken aback when his words brought an unexpected gloom to Eren's expression, as he turned away sadly from the captain.

"What's wrong?" said Levi. "Are you feeling okay?"

"No, it's just..." Eren muttered something Levi couldn't hear.

"Speak up, brat, if you're going to speak at all."

Eren suddenly grabbed Levi by the sleeve of his shirt and stared into the captain's grey eyes, his own green ones laden with agony.

Erin spoke softly. "How can you say 'get used to it' when you're just going to leave me when I finally do?”

Levi was stunned by the sudden display of emotional frankness.

"I'm sorry," Eren said weakly, letting go of Levi's arm and turning away. "You said so yourself. We live in two different worlds. I am a merman and you're a human. I was stupid to think you would stay here forever, no matter how well I treated you."

He turned back to face Levi, trying to hide his melancholy with a smile. But he could not hide the tears that were starting to leak out of his eyes.

"You're probably wanting to get back now, aren't you? Now that your body's feeling all better," he spoke. "You can even go today if you want to. I can probably take you wherever you want, even to the mainland."

The words cut like a knife through Levi's heart, as he faintly recalled his former intentions for this innocent boy.

"Eren..." Levi whispered.

"If that's too much for your body right now, I can take you to a nearby village if you want. You can heal up completely there. I'm sure human treatment would probably be better than anything I could do anyways."

"Eren..."

"I'm sure your crew will be able to find you in no time and you'll be back on your journeys soon enough. I'm sure you'll forget all the nuisance that happened here anyways. And maybe you'd even forget about me. I mean, it'd probably be more convenient that way, considering how much I harassed you right fro the beginning."

"Eren."

"And maybe then, maybe you'll even find a beautiful and intelligent lover during your travels. Someone who'd look wonderful standing next to you, someone who deserves to be by your side." The tears was streaming down his cheeks at this point, as he turned away in shame.

"Eren, you idiot."

"Levi—?!"

Levi felt Eren's breath hitch to a stop deep within his throat as he pressed his own lips against Eren's moist, pretty mouth. Taking advantage of Eren's little gasp, he started kissing him as roughly and as passionately as he could, intent on fully portraying everything that he'd locked up inside of himself thus far. He touched everything inside that Eren had to offer, the saltiness of ocean water on Eren’s mouth stinging his own tongue and lips.

"Levi!" Eren gasped for breath in the sound of Levi's name, making the captain's mind go dizzy.

His arms tightened around Eren, not leaving any space between the two. Levi started biting and sucking gently on Eren's bottom lip, feeling Eren's entire lithe body shudder in his embrace. He welcomed the sensation and moved one hand down to Eren's beautifully curved waist, rubbing up and down and then back again, all while still kissing him frantically. In that moment, it seemed like a waste to even breathe. He could _feel_ Eren's body getting warmer and warmer in his arms, clouding his mind with desire. For the first time, Levi was able to feel a sense of euphoria he didn't know he could ever experience.

After an eternity, they finally broke apart, Eren panting in Levi's arms, flushed in the face as he stared with disbelief into Levi's provocative eyes. The captain's gaze was filled with tenderness and longing, as he looked at the beautiful being, wrapped in his embrace.

"Levi..." Eren breathed. "Why all of a sudden...?"

Levi reached up and ran his fingers softly through the brown strands of Eren's hair, finally resting his hand on the boy's cheek.

"Because you're the most beautiful thing in my life," he whispered. He leaned in and started pressing his lips lightly and teasingly against Eren's neck, breathing softly as he went.

Eren's voice rang out beneath the empty sky. "Ah...! Levi...!"

Instinctively, Levi couldn't stop. "Both inside and outside, you're the most gorgeous being that's ever existed." He openly mouthed the side of Eren's neck, occasionally pressing his tongue in and causing Eren to cry out loud.

"And you're mine...all mine..." Levi drawled out as he continued caressing Eren, his mouth gently attending to the untouched skin.

"Levi...stop!" Eren said suddenly, pushing the captain away. Levi was startled, but obliged, holding out the moment by staring at Eren's adorable, blushing face.

"We can’t do this!" he said suddenly. "If we do this kind of thing...I don't think I'll be able to let you go when I need to..."

Levi was stunned by Eren's will, but he himself found no resistance. He leaned forwards and attacked Eren's lips again, determined to prove a point. He plunged his tongue deep and almost forcefully into Eren's mouth. He played around, forcing Eren into an open-mouthed kiss, satisfied by the way Eren subconsciously moaned back into him.

"If you're going to give me a stupid reason like that," Levi growled against Eren's lips. "Don't bother wasting my time."

Eren struggled to speak against Levi's insistence. "But...I can't resist...you..." He was engulfed by Levi yet again, shivering underneath his touches.

"Who says you have to?" Levi spoke.

Eren tried pushing Levi away again. "But I'm a merman! I can't go with you!"

"Then I'll just stay here," Levi said defiantly, his lips now pressing onto Eren's eyelids, nose, and cheeks. "Even if it means I have to stay here forever on this godforsaken island, even if it means this is as far as I'll ever be able to go with you, I'll stay. I'll stay and I promise to love you every day for as long as you live, I'll love you until you get tired of me, and I won't leave you no matter what."

"But... _Levi._..!"

But as Levi's lips showed no mercy, the merman's hesitant cries of protests slowly changed into cries of pleasure he had been resisting the entire time. He was no longer able to deny his captain's fervour. Eren eventually returned Levi's embrace with an even greater passion, fully accepting everything the captain gave to him.

At last, the sun finally sank beneath the horizon, as the new couple sought newfound privacy in the lack of light. As the waves crashed on and the breeze blew softly, they continued expressing their love for one another through the depths of the night. Repetitive whispers of “I love you” and “I want you” echoing through the darkness, reverberating through the ocean currents.

When neither had the strength left to continue, the two faded away into a heavy sleep within each other's arms.

~<

Levi blinked lazily as he woke up the next morning. He allowed himself a morning stretch. He couldn't help smiling hat ow refreshed he felt for some strange reason. He felt the sand bare on his skin as realized his shirt was gone and nowhere to be seen.

The captain's hazy eyes searched the island and found that his merman had also disappeared.

"Humph...was it all a dream?" he said to himself.

It was only seconds later when Levi suddenly felt delicate fingers caress his cheeks, tilting his head backwards to reveal an all too familiar pair of lovely green eyes.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," Eren teased, brushing Levi's hair out of the way.

Catching Levi by surprise, Eren suddenly bent down over him and kissed him quickly on the lips. Although it was light and brief, Levi could feel every nerve in his body tingle with excitement.

Levi smiled into Eren's kiss, reaching upwards to touch the merman's face with his fingertips.

"You didn't really seem like the morning kiss type," Levi said, as Eren continued with his soft pecks.

"Hmm...you didn't seem like someone who would utter all that mushy stuff last night either," Eren responded.

Levi's expression was serious. "You know, I meant everything I said."

"Prove it then." That playful smile on Eren's face was just so damn attractive to Levi.

To return the favour, Levi showed an equally provocative smirk. He sat up, pushing Eren back into the sand as he slowly crawled over him, switching their positions.

"With pleasure," Levi growled.

Under the morning light, Levi took the opportunity to take in the incredible sight before him.

Eren was sprawled beneath him. His face was slightly flushed and embarrassed with a pink tinge on his cheeks, though his emerald eyes shone with a contrasting desire. His brown locks were sprawled unkemptly beneath him, framing his handsome face and sharp jaw line. His arms were fallen back and pinned to the side, fully exposing his gorgeous tanned chest, defined to just the right amount and glistening with the remnants of seawater. Levi's eyes fell to Eren's abdomen where the golden skin faded away into that beautiful shade of blue-green, joining to that long, graceful tail that flipped back and forth in anticipation. And those lips, those adorable, slightly parted lips. Eren's lips were just so moist, so plump, so perfect for Levi to ravish. It was beyond enough to awaken that hunger and desire in Levi that he had unsuccessfully tried to seal away for so long.

"God, Eren, you're so beautiful," Levi whispered, as he dove onto Eren's lips at once.

Eren could only moan when Levi swiped his bottom lip with his tongue, giving him full access at once. And then they were at it again, touching and kissing like they would never be tired of each other. Eren's hands fondled around Levi's lower back while Levi continually touched and caressed Eren's chest and waist. Their bodies melded together in a passionate heat that caused them to tingle in excitement, fueled by the desire for more.

Eren suddenly reached up and tugged at Levi's arm, beckoning him to move closer. Levi couldn't help but get riled up by how forward Eren was being. He pushed their bodies together and held Eren in his arms, now without an inch of space between them. The lovely contact of skin on skin made their kisses even heavier and their breathing more ragged than ever before. Eren couldn't help but lose himself in the feeling of Levi's skillful tongue all over again.

"You're becoming so sensitive..." Levi noticed.

Eren pulled himself upwards and bit at Levi's ear, whispering as he did so. "I would blame you, but I think that would only boost your ego even more."

Levi shuddered at the sensation as Eren's tongue flicked across the rim of his ear.

"Hmm, not bad, brat..."

He pulled Eren close and kissed him again. They went on like that for a bit more until Levi decided that it was enough. As heavenly as being with Eren felt, they had to carry on with their lives at some point.

"By the way, what happened to my shirt last night anyway.?" Levi asked as Eren was about to go to sea again.

"Is it really bothering you that much?" Eren laughed. "I honestly don't know. You kind of urged me to get rid of it last night so I did and..." Levi watched an adorable blush appear on Eren's face and wondered what he was thinking about. He needed to shoo Eren away before things got out of hand again.

"Never mind, forget it," Levi said quickly. "I'll find another way to keep warm."

"You always have me," Eren responded coyly.

It took all of Levi's willpower to utter his nice sentence. "Tch, cheeky brat. Hurry up and get going, I'm hungry."

"Yes, sir!"

Unlike how he would usually avert his eye, this time Levi took the opportunity to fully appreciate the sharp curve of Eren's lean body as he dove into the sea with an eye-pleasing agility. He was beautiful, so beautiful that Levi couldn't believe that he was actually holding that same person in his arms less than a few minutes ago. And what Levi had done to deserve a being like that, he would never truly know.

Levi sighed to himself, realizing that being alone was going to be a lot harder now that he had been mutually accepted by Eren. At the very least, he could entertain himself for the time being with the still vivid memories. The captain smiled to himself. He had always been a rather impatient man but it seemed that the merman drove him to even greater levels of anxiety. He would've never thought in his lifetime that anyone would be capable of driving such emotions out in him. Yet here he was, craving for Eren as if he was a necessity.

As the joyful thoughts floated through Levi's mind, the sudden sound of splashing water interrupted his pondering. He looked towards the direction of the sound and was surprised to see that Eren was back already, hurriedly climbing out of the water and onto the sand.

Levi stood up and walked hurriedly over to Eren.

"That was fast," he commented. Levi suddenly noticed that Eren's expression was quite distraught. He was also breathing quite heavily, as if he had just been swimming as fast as he could.

"What happened? Are you alright?" Levi asked, his voice laden with concern. He knelt down next to Eren, cupping his face and pulling him closer.

Eren took a few deep breaths. Then, he lifted his arm and pointed far out into the ocean. Confused, Levi followed the direction of Eren's finger.

His eyes widened when he saw what he did.

"That's..." Levi gasped. "...that's my ship."

Eren nodded. "It is, isn't it? I suspected as much. I swam here as fast as I could to tell you."

Levi was frozen as he watched the tiny speck in the distance move ever so slowly. There it was, his old life. His life of rampaging journeys and unworthy bravado. His life of risky adventures and drunken crewmates. Just sailing past. It hit him suddenly that it would eventually disappear, past the horizon, gone forever. He could never return. Because he was here now.

And Eren was here.

Levi clenched his palms and planted his feet firmly into the ground. He couldn't say anything, not now. He already had all he needed right here.

Because Eren was here.

His eyes flickered as he watched the ship. It was getting farther and farther away now. This was his last chance. But he didn't need it...did he? He would forget about that life eventually. There was nothing good about it anyways. He was safe here, not risking his life every other day to capture some horrendous sea monster.

Levi noticed that Eren was observing him and made the mistake of looking him in the eyes. Before he knew it, his firm expression broke, and his eyes became desperate. He noticed the disappointment spread like a plague across Eren's face and it was clear that Eren had seen right through him.

"Don't you dare even think about it..." Levi warned, as he tried to recover himself.

Eren stared off in the direction of the ship. "I'll go lure it over here for you, captain."

"Oi, brat! I already said that I would stay with you." The firmness in Levi's voice was startling, even to himself.

Clearly braver than Levi was, Eren managed a weak smile. "Don't worry about it, I would do the same in your situation, captain. If you told me to leave the ocean forever to go live with you, I probably wouldn't be able to do it either."

"Don't you dare do it, Eren! I'm not going to go back on my words!" Levi was pointing at Eren accusingly now, as if all of this was his fault. His eyes were livid and his expression fueled with anger. He didn't know if it was the guilt or the denial, but the defiance in Levi's voice was getting harsher and harsher. Tears started to leak out the corners of his eyes as his tone escalated.

Yet somehow, Eren was still smiling, as calmly as ever. He gently clasped Levi's hand and looped his fingers through Levi's, interlacing them together. The sad corners on the edge of Eren's smile and eyes were much more evident up close, and Levi started to wonder if even Eren wasn't being entirely honest. All Levi wanted to do was hold him tighter and comfort him. It was hard to believe that his newfound happiness had been so temporary, and just like that, it was already crumbling beneath him, shattering into an abyss of separation that he could never come back from. Even though his hand was still warm within Eren's fingers, the merman already seemed beyond his reach, as if he was already distancing himself from Levi.

"Captain," Eren spoke. "Even if I've only known you for a short while, I want you to know that it's been some of the happiest moments of my life."

Levi felt an aching dryness in his throat, causing him to be incapable of speech.

"You made me feel alive, like I haven't been in awhile, and I...I want you to know and remember that."

Eren suddenly laughed, taking Levi by surprise.

"We've both been pretty stupid, haven't we? Indulging in these fantasies even when we knew for a fact they couldn't last forever. And neither of us are more at fault than the other. I'd like to think that if we both had a little more restraint it would be less difficult now but...at least, if we do it this way, we'll have no regrets in the long run, right?"

Levi gritted his teeth, reaching out towards Eren. "Eren, I said—"

"The person who said those words last night is not the same person I'm looking at now. We were drunk in lust and passion then, neither of us of completely sane."

As if acting on an impulse, Eren leaned upwards and gave Levi one last kiss. It was a gentle, chaste touch of the lips, as if he was sealing away all their memories for the last time. It was as if a hand had been squeezing and tightening Levi's heart, choking him and hurting him. It had finally reached the limit where it was about to burst.

His eyes widened in fear as a memory awakened in his mind, watching Eren about to dive.

"Eren, wait!" Levi yelled suddenly.

Eren stopped. That tiny flicker of hopefulness on Eren's expression was devastating to look at.

Looking at Eren through blurred vision, Levi heeded his best warning. "Please, Eren, just promise me one thing. Whatever you do, don't let them see you."

The captain had expected some questioning, or at least a "why?" in response but Eren merely nodded obediently. As he always did.

"Aye aye, captain," he said mournfully.

And he dove into the sea, the sound of the bursting water so much harsher this time, as if to signify the permanent shattering of Levi's peace of mind.

This time Eren swam so that his path could be seen on the surface of the ocean. Levi could only watch intently as Eren got closer and closer to the ship, eventually disappearing from his own line of vision. His eyes flickered upwards to the horizon, only to see that the ship was slowly redirecting its course and heading towards him. Much to his own dismay, a subconscious sense of relief washed over him at the sight of the familiar vessel heading towards him. There was no denying it at this point. He wanted to go on that ship.

To go home.

The closer it came, the more Levi felt as if his heart was going to be torn cleanly in two. Up to the moment when he would step onto the ship, he was completely obligated to change his mind at any time. And that time frame was getting shorter and shorter as he stood, watching the looming ship approach him. He knew that he wouldn't change his mind, but the fact that he ultimately had a choice was wrecking him by the second.

It wasn't long before Eren's path beneath the water also became visible again, and now, he could also see familiar faces on board, looking at him through telescopes and rejoicing that their captain was still alive. At this point, Eren's trail also disappeared for it no longer had any reason to be there. Levi felt a horrible emptiness in his chest.

"OIIIIIIIIIIIII~! CAPTAIN!!!" A crew member was waving excitedly from the dock, and Levi forced a smile waving back as the crew neared the island and prepared to anchor the ship.

Levi heard a noise from behind the rocks, and in the corner of his eyes he noticed a glint of sunshine that seemed out of place. A careful look revealed a head of auburn hair poking out from behind. The form was still safely out of sight, but Levi realized that Eren had come back to see him off. As relieved as he was that they would get a proper goodbye, Levi felt something ominous suddenly stir inside.

At last, the ship had docked and Levi watched half-expectantly as his remaining crew members spilled out from the sides and ran straight at him with blazing expressions, all while screaming "Captain! Captain!" Before he knew it, he felt a million comforting arms wrap around him with such an intense force that he collapsed to the ground, his ears resonating with words of delight and relief.

"I knew it! I knew there was no way captain would die!"

"As expected of the strongest captain of the seven seas!"

"I'm so glad, captain! Our captain is alive, we can go on!"

"Captain! Captain!"

Levi couldn't help but smile at the enthusiasm of his members, and for a second, he forgot why he was so tormented in the first place. Slowly, he recovered to a sitting position, as he gazed upon the familiar faces he hadn't seen for so long. They were all indeed glowing with joy, but there was paleness in their faces. There were dark circles around their eyes and they were all much scrawnier than they were when he last saw them. Though they were smiling, there was an emptiness within their faces that Levi couldn't quite comprehend. Their clothes were tattered and their faces soiled with uncleanliness, as it was clear that they hadn't washed properly in awhile. A surge of guilt and sympathy boiled in his stomach: he had spent the last few days being pampered by Eren, yet he could only imagine what his crew had to deal with. What's more, many faces seemed to be missing.

"Are we the only ones left...?" Levi asked carefully.

He felt the discomfort that threatened to destroy their fragile joy of reunion.

"I would think so..." one of them said. "Everyone else has been confirmed or witnessed dead, sir. We've rescued everyone we could, and seeing as you're the only one left...we're just so glad. If anyone could survive it had to be you."

The uproar returned as everyone proceeded cheering and praising their brave captain, declaring that everything would be back on track once again.

And it wasn't long before they started returning onto the ship one by one, dragging Levi by the arms.

Levi protested. "Wait, I have to..."

His crew beamed at him. "What are you waiting for, captain? With you back on board, we've got a job to do." Levi froze, remembering just what his assignment was.

"COME ON EVERYONE! WE GOT A MERMAID TO CATCH!"

Levi cringed at the exclamation while his crew roared in excitement, practically dancing while chanting onto the ship, drowning in the ecstasy of things finally falling back into place. Panic flashed through Levi's mind, and it didn't help that they were starting to chant raucously and loudly about capturing the merfolk and offering them to the king.

"No..." Levi whispered. In the midst of the chaos, whilst making sure no one was looking, Levi ran back towards the rock as quickly as his could.

What he didn't expect was to be immediately confronted by a pair of distressed green eyes, staring straight into him the moment he came back. It was clear that Eren had heard.

"Eren," he said quickly. "It's not what it sounds like..." He reached out towards Eren, only to have the merman retaliate. He looked on the verge of crying, but there were no tears.

"Captain...all along you were..." Eren couldn't finish his sentence.

Levi tried again, but to no avail. "Eren, look. It may have started out that way but believe me when I say, everything I said last night was real..."

Eren turned away, but when he looked back his expression was no longer in dismay. If anything, there was fury laden on his face, an expression Levi had never seen before. It terrified him.

"Stop it," Eren said. "If you wanted to tie me up and haul me away you should've just done it while you were whispering all those sweet things to me. You were clearly seductive enough."

The bitter words clawed at the insides of Levi's chest.

"Eren...don't be like this..." Levi rasped.

Eren gritted his teeth, as if he couldn't bear to say the next words. "When we first met, you warned me of the dangerous humans out there, and you said you could've been one of them for all I knew...how was I ever to expect that that would be the only truth you would ever tell me the entire time...? You're quite the con man, aren't you, captain? You played me like a fool, haven't you? How many other people have tricked with your cold facade and tender words?"

"No, Eren, I have never..." The dryness in his throat was making it hard for Levi to speak. Besides, what could he say?

"Stop trying to win me over now. It's too late. Your plan's been foiled, captain, I'm sorry. You better find another merman to seduce," Eren said coldly. He poised, and Levi recognized that as the pose he took every time he was about to dive away.

This time forever.

"Eren!"

Levi reached out and grabbed Eren's arm, only to find him retaliating violently.

"Let go of me!" Eren yelled.

"Shhh...if you're too loud, my crew members will hear you," Levi whispered.

"What are you playing at?!"

Levi suddenly grabbed Eren's chin and forced his face towards him. He bent down so that he could feel Eren's breathing on his lips.

"No...you can't..." Eren protested violently. But Levi had always been stronger.

"Eren... _I love you_."

Levi leaned forward and attacked Eren's lips with his own, kissing to devour. Eren struggled to pull away, but Levi just wrapped his arms tighter and kept going. It didn't feel warm, nor pleasurable like before: it just felt savage. But right now, this was what Levi needed: to prove to Eren that his feelings were carnal, to show just how much he needed him.

Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his lips. He cried out and pulled away. Taking advantage of the situation, Eren pushed away from Levi and escaped his arms.

"You're a coward, you know that?" Eren spat.

Levi's eyes flickered in realization as he wiped the blood from his mouth. "No, Eren—"

"Captain, is everything alright? Where are you?" a voice called from the distance.

Levi turned back to Eren, tears starting to leak out of his eyes as he desperately looked at the merman. He had somehow ended up on his knees, whispers of begging and pleading starting to spill out of his mouth before he realized it.

Levi's eyes widened as there was a bright flash of blue, this time terrifying, haunting, as it cascaded over him.

And just like that, Eren disappeared.

Gone.

And for the longest time, Levi just sat there on his knees, tears streaming uncontrollably down his cheeks. He was still in denial, he couldn't believe what had just happened. Eren, his beloved Eren, was really gone. His lips were quivering and his hair disheveled, and he was in a state he never thought he'd ever be in. His chest hurt so agonizingly that he thought he was really going to die, as he bent over from the pain and clutched a hand over it.

"Eren...no...Eren...Eren..." he whispered over and over again in reverie.

He reached out towards the sea and was about to jump in when multiple hands grabbed onto him, pulling him back. He could faintly hear the concerned calls repeatedly amidst the throbbing of his brain. His sanity slowly slipped away as an image of the merman's auburn hair flying through the wind flashed through his mind, followed by the brightest of Eren's smile. Levi collapsed onto the sand, his breathing heavy, his lips still mouthing Eren's name. It hurt, it hurt so dreadfully that he felt as if he was going to explode. Both his mind and heart were starting to throb and it was as if there was something eating away at him from the inside, eroding him into a horrible darkness that seemed to last. Now it was as if the arms were trying to shake him back to reality, but his head was aching so horribly that he could barely comprehend any of it. He couldn't move his arms or his legs, and slowly, gradually, he thought he saw the scenery changing, but he still wasn't sure.

All he was sure of was the name of the person he uttered until his consciousness faded.

~<

"You think he's going to be okay? Ever since he's woken up he's been sitting there every night...."

"I'm sure it's just a phase, he's done it before, hasn't he?"

"I guess...but he seems really upset this time..."

"Let him be. He'll find a way out eventually."

Captain Levi sat on the stool by the edge of a wooden counter, holding his empty glass towards the barista for what seemed like the hundredth time. He was currently residing in an old shack somewhere by the edge of the sea, having temporarily recovered from his shock. His crew had brought him back here, tended to him, and now here he was, back on land. His appearance was polished and refined again, something it hadn't properly been in a long while. His hair was neatly combed backward and he was wearing a new, pristine white shirt covered by a neat brown vest which hugged his waist flatteringly. His black pants ended with a pair of polished black boots with golden buckles that his crewmates had apparently ransacked from some abandoned shelter in the past. He looked quite the part as a gentleman, and no one would've been the wiser that this very man had just slipped from the verge of sanity only the day before.

"Aren't you going all out today, Captain Levi?" the barista teased, flipping her curly blonde locks from her shoulder. She was quite the looker, charming eyes, pleasant smile and a curvy body which contrasted her innocent face.

Levi took a sip of the strong liquid. "Why? Does it only concern you now after I've had so many glasses?"

"Feisty as ever, captain. But then again, that's why you're so popular," she smiled, as she put away her pitcher. "We've been missing you recently. What have you been up to, that you come back with such a gloomy mood? It's really quite disappointing for all of us, you know?"

"That's none of your business."

The pretty lady leaned forwards and cupped her chin with her hands. "Oh, don't try to hide from me, captain. You may be stoic in your natural guise but once you've had a few of my concoctions, you can't hide your feelings as well anymore."

Levi drank patiently, awaiting her next suggestion.

"You're in love, aren't you?"

The captain choked tactlessly, causing the fair bartender to smile gleefully. She placed her hand beneath Levi's chin, taking him by surprise as she lifted his face and gazed at his expression.

"Or rather..." she said carefully. "You're heartbroken, aren't you?"

The words flipped a switch inside of Levi. His indifference faded into anger, as he slammed the glass onto the counter and stood up violently.

"That's enough," he growled. He dumped a few coins on the table and left the shack in a fury.

"Wait, Levi, I didn't mean—"

She was interrupted by a large, callused hand clutching her wrist, diverting her attention. She looked up to see a finely-dressed man with sleek blonde hair standing next to a quirky lady with a brown ponytail and glasses.

"Let him be," the woman smiled. "He's not in his right mind today."

"Don't stress yourself too much over him," the man continued, making himself comfortable in Levi's former spot. "Now, how about you entertain us for a while instead?"

~<

Levi's boots dug into the muddy ground, leaving groggy footprints behind and staining his shoes. He had left the bar with the intention of getting some fresh air and relaxing his mind; how ironic was it that practically as soon as came out, tiny droplets of rain starting to peck at him instantly. Naturally, it wasn't long before it became a downpour, and now here he was, trudging along without a care, without direction, embracing the chill that ached him to the core. He blended in with the mournful grey that surrounded him, engulfed him, and brought him closer to his misery.

 _How cliche...but this is what I deserve, is it not?_ He shuddered as a gust of wind caressed him, wrapping his arms around his thin sleeves as he walked on. His head was bent downwards, avoiding eye contact with anything and anyone. Raindrops slid gracefully down his hair, his eyelids, his lips, but he couldn't care less about wiping them away now.

Somehow, in the midst of his insanity, he managed to find his way to a harbour. He saw the darkened ocean, far, wide and vast in front of him, so ominous covered by the broadness of the shady clouds. Everything was dark, grey, empty.

That ocean. It had always been his companion, where he had always felt at peace. That ocean had always been his home, his shelter, and now, it was merely a vast nightmare, holding sinful memories of a time that had once been so heavenly, so perfect.

Levi made his way towards the water, where the waves were beating more brutally than usual. He listened to the sounds of the waves crashing violently onto the harbour, strong and relentless. He felt that painful reminiscence squeeze his chest. This was how he had met the merman for the first time. By the edge of the ocean, where it was perfectly fine for land to meet sea.

Though the rain was relentless, Levi didn't seem to be the least bit affected anymore. He knelt down to the wet sea and started removing his soiled boots, one strap at a time. When he at last threw them to the side, he stood up again, feeling the cold wet, sand stick beneath his toes. Slowly, he stepped out towards the water, ever so cautiously as if it would burn him the second he touched it.

He put one foot into the ocean, then the other, feeling the coolness wash around his ankles. Surprisingly, it felt nice. It felt even more reviving than all the alcohol had been. And so naturally, he welcomed it. He stepped further, and further in until he was waist deep. Had anyone noticed, they surely would've pulled him back in, saying something preposterous like it was dangerous or reckless or foolish to be out so far in the ocean in the midst of a brewing storm like this. But what did that know? They didn't know how pleasant the water could be, how beautifully it glowed beneath the sunset, how peaceful it could be under gentle winds, and how comfortable it was, akin to a second home.

Levi stared blankly out, farther into the horizon. He wondered, if he just kept swimming towards that horizon...would he eventually find Eren? The ocean could only be so large...he'd find him eventually, right? There was always a limit. And it was only then that Eren would realize just how much Levi loved him, and they could reunite majestically once again.

They would be able to be stay together forever.

Suddenly, amidst the grey, he thought he saw a flash of emerald in the distance.

"EREN!" Levi screamed desperately.

He threw himself into the ocean, not caring that the wind was picking up, the rain cascading down in a merciless torrent. He thrust his arm into raging water, fighting away any resistance.

Eren was here. He had come back. It was all Levi cared for.

A harsh wave of water towered above Levi and pushed him underneath the surface for a devastating moment, but it didn't matter. He burst towards the surface again and swung blindly in torment, heading towards the direction where he had seen the blue from earlier.

"EREN! EREN!" he yelled. He thought of the enchanting green eyes, the gentle smile, the tousled brown hair, and it gave him a burst of power he didn't know he possessed. He pushed onwards, not caring that he was much too far away from the shore to return now. He just kept going and going, gasping, delirious and mad from the painful throbbing in his chest.

Yet another towering wave crashed down upon him, and this time, it was different. It pushed him far down below the surface, and he could feel all the air punched out from his chest. His body relented, giving itself into the embrace of the water.

Levi sank, floating down towards the depths of the ocean, his body limp and unable to move.

 _The water is warmer down here_ , Levi thought, as his throat started to cry out in pain. He almost smiled to himself. _What a suitable death for a sea captain..._

He felt himself slipping away, the tightness in his chest becoming all the more unbearable. His mind was about to burst from the tightening pain, and he knew he was done for.

Just when he was about to fade to black, he saw that flash of green again, this time vividly right above him.

 _Eren..._!

Levi reached out desperately towards the light, but to his horror, he found it futile. The water was tying him down, pulling him back, pulling him away from Eren.

_Eren...! No!_

With one last desperate burst of strength, there remained only black, and he at last collapsed into the ocean's choking embrace.

~<

There were tears in his eyes.  

That was the first thing Levi noticed when he wrenched them open again, albeit the rest of his body was shivering and still soaking wet. He was still outside, as the cold became more and more irking to him. It seemed there was a slight hue of orange signifying the arriving sunrise, but it was far from enough to warm him up as of yet. However, it was early enough that there wasn’t another person in sight.

Levi slowly sat up, his limbs feeling heavy and useless, aching for recovery. He stared ahead and realized he was on the beach again, the same place he’d been before he dove into the ocean.

"You really shouldn't have done that,” said a voice beside him.

Levi’s eyes widened at the sound of the familiar voice. He turned around and saw a sight that brought an overwhelming relief to his body, seeming to heal every part of his body from head to toe.

“Eren…” he smiled broadly. “It was you.”

And there the merman was. Sitting calmly in the sand next to him, void of any emotion on his visage. He looked no different, but there was an aura of melancholy draped over him. All Levi wanted was to grab him and hold him and plead forgiveness and tell him how much he truly loved him. But he held himself back. Eren had returned to him. And he wasn’t going to scare him away again so soon.

“Eren…I wanted to see you so badly,” Levi started, reaching out to him.

“I’m not here to forgive you, captain,” Eren responded at once.

Levi’s heart sank at the comment, and further more when he registered the blatant frigidness in Eren’s expression.

“Eren…I…” Levi started. But once again, he was a loss for words, feeling unobligated to speak. Eren’s gaze was distant, and Levi wondered when he had become so unreadable.

“When I left you the other day,” Eren spoke. “I thought about a lot of things. I wondered if it had truly all been a delusion right from the beginning.”

Levi said nothing.

“And then I remembered something you said to me, right before it all happened,” Eren continued. Levi watched him expectantly.

Eren shuffled on his tail a little. “You told me to watch out and not to be seen by the people on the ship,” Eren said. “So I thought to myself, if he really was out to get me, what reason would he have had to say that? Perhaps, he really wasn’t after me in the end?”

For the first time in what seemed like an eternity, Levi’s face broke in a smile of relief.

“Eren…” Levi breathed, reaching out towards him again. But to his surprise, Eren was still avoiding his touch.

“Like I said, captain, I’m not here to forgive you, or reconcile with you,” Eren stated firmly. “Even if you had said that, how am I supposed to know that that wasn’t another one of your ploys to get me back again?”

“If it was, you wouldn’t have come back here,” Levi replied firmly for the first time. “And if it was, what makes you think you’d still be sitting here free and untouched, right now? You trusted your instinct, didn’t you?”

“Yes, and I’m a fool for it,” Eren said. “But I couldn’t resist. Because if it was true that you had been earnest all along…I…I…”

Levi heard the shakiness by the end of Eren’s sentence as he trailed off, and he felt that uncomfortable lurch in his chest again.

“Then why did you come back?” Levi encouraged further response.

“Well…I figured if I left you just like that…you and your crew would ultimately suffer the wrath of the king, wouldn’t you? Rumours have it that he isn’t a very forgiving man…” Eren said;

Levi was taken aback. “How did you know about…”

“Your crew wasn’t exactly quiet when they rampaged back onto the ship. They mentioned offering a merperson to the king. I figured the king wouldn’t go easy on you if you were to fail a direct mission of his.”

Levi looked deeply at Eren. He never knew Eren could be so insightful, so intelligent. There was clearly so much more depth to this merman than simply the allure that laid on the surface. He felt pleasantly satisfied, knowing that.

Eren suddenly looked up, his eyes fiercely connecting with the captain’s.

“But don’t get me wrong, captain,” he said quickly. “I didn’t come back here to save you. Rather, I came back here to take advantage of your situation.”

“What…?”

“You weren’t the only one keeping secrets.”

Now Levi was feeling uncomfortable. He had always believed Eren to be the embodiment of freedom and serenity. Should Eren utter anything at all to shatter this image, the shards would most definitely pierce Levi deeply.

Eren opened his mouth to tell his tale. “I told you I swam away from home, didn’t I?” he started.

“Yes…” Levi responded.

Eren shuffled around on his tail, flipping it back and forth. “Well, the truth is…I didn’t actually do it of my own accord. I was forced to.”

Now it was Levi’s turn to straighten up. “What? What happened?”

Eren looked away. “Tell me, captain, during your many travels, have you ever heard of Sea Witches or Warlocks?”

“Of course,” Levi said. “They're responsible for all the cursed enchantments we have to deal with at sea, and likely the one that tore my entire crew up before you found me.”

“Have you ever captured one before?”

“Of course not. It’s hard enough to find one let alone capture one.”

“Do you think you can catch one?”

Levi stared at Eren. “Eren…don’t tell me you…”

Eren sighed and looked mournfully into the distance.

“Like I said…I was forced to swim away from home…when one of those abominable creatures came and tore up our village,” Eren spoke. “She destroyed our house and…and she killed my mother.”

Levi could only stare in disbelief.

Eren moved around a bit before continuing. “So without a home, and my father nowhere to be seen…what choice did I have left? I abandoned by old village, determined to seek out this monster in order to avenge my mother. I started swimming recklessly, without direction, determined to find her somewhere. The ocean has limits, right? And when I thought I couldn’t go on any longer, that it was all in vain…that’s when I saw you.”

Eren paused and to Levi’s surprise, he smiled sadly to himself.

“You were so helpless back then, captain, but at the same time so beautiful. I didn’t really understand why I was so drawn to you. Perhaps it was mere pity before it evolved into something else. Being by your side back then…I think I almost forgot about everything.”

Levi looked at Eren, for the first time truly looked at his face. How could he have ever known that underneath that pure and light-hearted nature, there could be such overwhelming burden? He had thought Eren was the complete opposite of himself…how could he have disregarded that they were so similar in the end? A firm exterior, shielding a vulnerable heart from within.

Eren’s smile flickered and then disappeared again, replaced with a determined pair of green eyes.

“Considering that you owe me, captain, twice now, in fact,” Eren said. “I came back for your help. Hunt down the Sea Witch with me, captain, and you’ll have nothing left to owe me.”

Levi kept a calm expression despite the turmoil going on inside of him. “What’s in it for me even if I do find this Sea Witch for you?”

“You’d have your prize to bring to the King,” Eren responded. “Sea Witches are merely mermaids who have harnessed the powers of dark magic in exchange for their morals. They’re definitely rarer and more valuable, and I’m sure you’d impress the King if you managed to bring one home for him.”

Levi was thoroughly shocked by the insight that Eren seemed to have. He had never even thought of an option like this and here it was, laden perfectly in front of him by this youthful merman.

“Very well,” Levi said. “But I have one condition.”

“Are you really in a place to make conditions, captain?”

Levi ignored the inquiry. “Can you trust me, Eren? The entire time when we are together, are you going to be able to trust me fully and listen to what I say and act upon my commands?”

The captain immediately noticed that hopeful glimmer in Eren’s eyes before it flickered away almost immediately. He was so sullen, so unlike himself, and it shattered Levi’s heart to see him like this. He wanted to see the overjoyed, carefree Eren again, but a part of him realized that he probably never would ever again.

“I’m not sure, captain,” Eren replied at last. “But you can’t really blame me, can you?”

Levi smiled bitterly to himself, uttering the only response he could.

“No…I can’t.”

~<

The captain stood up and buttoned up his jacket, tightening it around his waist. He grabbed the scroll of parchment paper laid on the desk and tucked it inside.

“Thanks for the help, four-eyes,” Levi said. “Remind me to treat you for a drink. That is, if I come back safely.”

The lady sitting behind the desk smiled. “ _If?_ This is the first time I’ve ever heard you sound so uncertain.”

Levi smirked. “So you noticed my euphemism of doubt.”

His friend returned the smile. “It’s not like this assignment is even difficult for one with records such as yourself,” she said. “Which leads me to conclude that it’s likely something else that’s bothering you.”

“Insightful as ever.”

The smile broadened. “You’ll be fine, Levi,” she reassured with a wink. “For one thing, you’ve got that passionate look about you again. Just don’t go breaking anymore hearts, okay?”

Levi smiled grimly. “I’m not the person you should be saying that too,” he remarked. “Well, I’m off. I’ll see you soon.”

“Good luck. And you better hold to that drink promise.”

“Don’t worry, I will.” With the last waving gesture of his hand, the captain left the tiny office.

Once he was back on the hustle and bustle of the cobble streets, Levi wasted no time in heading towards his destinations. With determined footsteps, he walked with a compelling glint in his eyes, fearsome and striking.

He soon found himself on the familiar edge of sand and water once again, and this time he felt a surge of adrenaline wash over him as he thought of the adventures to come.

“Took you long enough,” a familiar phrase could be heard.

Levi turned around and a gentle smile appeared on his face when he saw his beautiful merman, laid out behind a giant boulder so that only he could see him from his angle. He was next to a tiny boat that would be Levi’s transportation, and on his shoulder there was a strap fastened to a pouch of some sort, which Levi assumed to be his travel supplies.

“So, do you know where she is?” Eren inquired as Levi walked over.

“I don’t, but my peculiar friend apparently does, and she’s never been wrong before,” Levi said as he handed Eren the scroll. “She tracked down recent reports of dark enchantments within the area, specifically where you told me you used to live, and this was the location she ended up pinpointing us to.”

“...the Abandoned Cove. How suitable.”

“Despite the mere irony by naming, it makes sense that she would target the Abandoned Cove if she was hiding there,” Levi said. “It’s close enough in vicinity, not to mention it’s safely hidden away and rather obscure so most people would prefer to stay away from it anyways. It also explains why you might have missed it earlier despite searching all over the place. A place shrouded in ambiguity and mystery like that is ideal for a new witch to harness and fortify her magic.”

“But…what if she targeted the Abandoned Cove because she had some ulterior motive…not because it was convenient?”

Levi paused and stared at Eren for a second. “Eren, is there something else you know?”

Eren hesitated before speaking.

“I knew her. Before she became a dark witch. We lived in the same place…she was my friend.”

Levi clenched his fists as he heard the words uttered from Eren’s mouth, and even more so when he realized how distraught Eren was despite his strong front. Nonetheless, it was a time when inquiry was necessary, and he had no choice but to push onwards.

“Is there any reason why she may have done that?”

“I don’t know…I could hardly believe it when I saw her in that horrendous form.”

“How long did she disappear for before she came back?”

“About a month.”

“In that case,” Levi continued as he started untying the knot to his boat. “It's all the more likely that she truly is hidden away in the Abandoned Cove right now. Dark magic takes at least two weeks to harness and then another week to fortify to a useful extent. She would have to find a secluded location nearby to do that…making the Abandoned Cove the only spot possible.”

“In that case,” Eren spoke up. “What are we waiting for? I think I know exactly where we’re headed.”

“Wait, Eren!” Levi called suddenly.

“…yes?”

“Are you going to be alright when it all happens?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well…she was your friend, was she not?”

Eren turned away, shielding his eyes. “She killed my mother. That’s all I’ll need to remember when the time comes.”

Levi gave his boat a tiny push, setting it adrift before climbing in skillfully. He grabbed the oars and put them in place.

He nodded to Eren. “Aren’t you gonna jump in?” he asked, gesturing to the boat.

To his surprise, Eren actually smiled.

“I see your lackluster sense of humour hasn’t changed at all, captain.”

~<

For the very first time, Captain Levi was out in the seas without his crew or his ship.

He should’ve felt vulnerable or at least underpowered, but somehow he felt more at ease. Eren swam alongside Levi every inch of the way, and he wondered how the merman had so much energy. They made stops whenever they had a chance, but it was always only enough to rest quickly before moving on. After all, both of them had a deadline.

They rarely spoke, and it was agonizingly uncomfortable for Levi. At one of their stops Levi had offered for Eren to sit on the boat for a while, but Eren refused by saying it was much healthier for him to be in the sea. When Levi teasingly offered Eren a piece of bread, he pushed it away by saying human food was distasteful to him. No matter how much he tried, Levi couldn’t seem to get through to Eren anymore. It was clear that they were not doing this in sympathy for one another: this was merely a profitable exchange between acquaintances, nothing more, nothing less.

But at last the tension was relieved when they arrived at their destination.

“Finally, here we are,” Eren spoke after around twelve hours of travel. They were in the middle of ocean, not a landmark to be seen, yet the merman was assertive in his statement.

Levi checked between his compass and his map. “It would seem so.”

“I wonder if I’ll come back the same after I dive down there,” Eren mused.

Levi was jolted by the comment. “Wait a minute, I thought we were doing this together.”

“We are.”

“Well, what’s the point bringing me here if you’re just going to dive down there and do it all by yourself?”

“Well then, what’s the point of bringing you along if you were just going to sit on the surface and wait for me to do everything?”

“I thought we were going to lure her up together and catch her up here.”

Eren snorted. “Captain, you seem to have forgotten that you no longer have your crew with you,” he said. “You might have been able to handle a kraken on the surface with ten men, but you and I by ourselves against a powerful sea witch who pulverized my home is just unreasonable. I’m practically useless on the surface.”

Levi lost his restrained patience. “Well, what do you expect me to do?! You may be useless on the surface but at the very least you can breathe up here! What do you want me to do? Drown?!”

Eren nearly laughed at Levi’s sudden little burst. At this moment, he finally pulled the strap of the bag on his shoulder down for the first time, and reached into it. When he had pulled his hand back out again, there was a strand of peculiar-looking, nearly transparent coral in his fingers.

“This gives you 24 hours,” Eren said. “It should be ample time for you to do what you need to do, doesn’t it?”

“Wait…what?” Levi gawked at the coral.

Eren sighed. “To breathe underwater, _captain_.” His voice dripped in ridicule.

Levi looked at it inquisitively. “Such a thing exists…?”

“It can only be obtained by merfolk. It grows on the very bottom of the ocean floor.”

“…how do I know it works?”

Eren shrugged. “You trust me.”             

The haphazard comment elicited a scoff from Levi. The brat had made this journey tense and difficult due to his own disregard of trust, yet now, he expects the captain to merely agree with him, on the basis of this very principle which he had so eagerly denied earlier. It was blatantly ridiculous.

“You’re quite the little hypocrite, aren’t you?” Levi grumbled.

It had been a long time since Levi had seen any real emotion from Eren, and even if it was merely him being offended, it was kind of relieving somehow.

Eren disdainfully tossed the coral onto the boat, disregarding how it splashed all over the captain’s pants.

“Eat it, or else we would’ve gone all this way for nothing,” Eren ordered. “You may be cowardly but you’re not foolish too, are you?”

Levi grabbed the coral with a scowl on his face. “Damn brat, you think you can say whatever you want to me?”

“I’m merely repaying the favour, as I almost let _you_ dowhatever you wanted to me.”

Levi raised an eyebrow. “…was it not mutual?”

To his surprise, a bright, bright blush suddenly appeared on Eren’s face. He never thought he would see that pretty colour again, least of all in their current situation.

“I wasn’t talking about that, you lecher!” Eren yelled, throwing another strand, this time at Levi's face. “I was talking about how you were about to trick me and bring me to the king! Not...you know..."

Levi remained silent. He just wanted bask in Eren’s embarrassment, which he would likely never see again.

“Can you please just eat the coral now, captain?” Eren urged, interrupting his thoughts. “We’ve wasted enough time! Let’s go.”

Surprisingly obedient all of a sudden, Levi brought the strange coral to his lips and tore into it with his teeth, bringing it in with his tongue and enduring the strange texture. It was tasteless, but it was tough, and it took him a bit to finish the whole bunch.

“How long does it take to be effective?” Levi asked, when he had finished.

“It should be immediate,” Eren replied. He swam closer to the boat and grabbed onto Levi’s arm, startling him.

“What…”

Something had changed in Eren’s expression. Though it was, for the most part, still cold and frigid in appearance, it was as if there was a subtle light, glowing from within.

It was as if a secluded, former part of him couldn’t wait for Levi to join him in the ocean. In his world.

“Come on, captain, let’s go.” His tone, it was reaching the borderline of becoming a whine, but nonetheless it wasn't hard to miss the desperation in it. It was wrenching at Levi’s chest, to see how badly Eren wanted him to be in the ocean, despite the merman's own will and wish to seclude himself from Levi.

So how could he resist?

_It truly is the merman’s curse._

Slowly and hesitantly, Levi crawled out of the boat. The feeling of water soaking into the fabric of his clothes was rather uncomfortable at first, but he slowly got used to it. Before long, he was nearly completely submerged in the water, with only his head bobbing on the surface. Naturally, he gave himself a few moments to adjust as there was something irking about completely succumbing to the pressures of the ocean.

Suddenly, he felt something coil onto his arm. Before he knew it, he was tugged beneath the surface forcefully. He could see the air bubbles flying out of his mouth, and to his horror, he felt his throat aching and his lungs expanding as if they wanted to burst.

_Why? Why isn’t it working?_

A flash of horror passed through his frenzied mind. What if this was Eren’s plan to kill him? For vengeance? How foolish was he, to follow a vengeful merman into the middle of nowhere in the ocean and crawl into the water merely at his beckoning?

A surge of pain flashed through his chest, and he struggled to swim back up but it was futile at this point. This was it, this was the end. His body writhed in pain and he gasped only to have more water coming in and his mind was starting to black out and—

A pair of dainty hands were on his cheeks.

_What…?_

It was as if Eren was an angel, appearing in front of him. Practically glowing, shining…almost smiling gently. He coaxed Levi into his arms and gently guided him, deeper…deeper…

With a gasp, Levi’s eyes widened and adjusted themselves to the murky view beneath the ocean.

“It worked!” he exclaimed in disbelief. “I can breathe! …I can _talk_!”

Meanwhile, Eren was already off in the distance, twirling and spinning about in a manner which seemed a bit too carefree.

“Captain!” Levi heard him called, in a voice that was much, much too eager.

Obliging, Levi prepared to follow Eren, but then realized he was still sinking. Though Levi had always been a great swimmer, perhaps his landlubbing brain still found it quite difficult to comprehend his situation. He found it quite difficult to move his arms and legs as he was used to, and ended up struggling so much that he was starting to sink.

“Captain…” Levi heard a warm voice, which was followed by a warm touch in contrast to the cool water around him. He felt himself being guided into a pair of gentle arms, fingers dancing brazenly on his skin. The merman coaxed Levi into a casual embrace of the arms, teaching him the ways of the ocean.

“Come, I’ll hold you,” Eren said, almost tenderly.

The adjustments were near immediate, as Eren guided him along with hands on his forearms, as if he were merely leading a dance in the midst of a ballroom. Slowly, Levi adjusted, moving his legs, pushing himself forward into the water, following Eren’s every movement, gradually becoming enraptured in his world.

A surge of bravery overcoming him, Levi suddenly decided to look up to meet eyes with Eren. Though unsure if it was merely the illusion of the water, Levi felt his heart wrench when he noticed the melancholy deeply laden in the emerald pair. As he continued to glide about in Eren’s arms, the same expression started to become mutually reflected in his own eyes.

They became unable to tear their eyes away from each other, their movements starting to become repetitive, robotic. Despite Levi’s desperation to know Eren's thoughts behind those eyes, he found his mind twisted with confusion. Part of him wanted to reach out and touch Eren, to stroke his cheek and embrace him gently, while the other reasonable part wanted nothing of it.

Suddenly, he felt the warm fingers slowly slip from their grasp, releasing his arms back into the unaccustomed world of the sea. At first, he flailed about helplessly, but as he began to match his arms’ movements with his legs, he found himself able to move again.

It was almost like learning how to walk, all over again.

He looked at Eren, wondering whether or not to thank him. But upon realizing the merman’s back was turned again, he decided against it.

“Are we almost there?” he asked instead.

“Almost,” Eren replied.

“Do you think you can handle it?”

The hesitance was blatant…but temporary.

“Yes.”

~<

The entrance to the cove was exactly as one would expect: as dark and ominous as it gets. Despite his numerous viewings of monsters at sea, even Levi couldn’t suppress a shudder as he was enveloped by the eerie atmosphere.

Concerned, he wondered how Eren was coping with it all, and turned to see that Eren was still bravely swimming forward. Though his pace was naturally more hesitant, Levi recognized the determined glimmer in his eyes, and knew there was nothing to worry about.

“Wait, Levi!” Eren called suddenly, in a hushed tone. He approached as Levi stopped and clutched his shoulders gently, perhaps even subconsciously. “I think she’s just ahead.”

“How do you know?” Levi spoke.

“Just stay back, captain,” Eren assured. “I’ll scout ahead.”

Almost immediately, Levi grabbed Eren’s arm and pulled him back, prohibiting from making any further movement.

“Are you insane? What if she catches you?” Levi said.

“I won’t get caught,” Eren replied simply. “I’ll be back.”

“Do you even have a backup plan?”

“Yes, captain. If I don’t come back within five minutes, assume that I’m done with. At that point, you take advantage of the element of surprise and…do what you must with her.”

Levi was stunned. “You’re planning to…sacrifice yourself?”

“Only as a backup.”

There was something off about it all, Levi could sense it. “Are you sure about that?”

“Are you doubting me now, captain? After all, it’s my life on the line. Not yours.”

“That’s exactly why I have doubts,” Levi murmured with sudden realization. “That was your plan all along, wasn’t it? Take me here, claiming we’d take her down together when really all you wanted as to give up your own life. Knowing that I would take full advantage of that situation whether I have been truthful to you or not, the sea witch would still be defeated by me. That’s why you approached me so carelessly from the beginning.”

Levi stared at Eren is horror as he realized the merman was silent, confirming that all he was saying was true.

“You planned to die anyways, even before you met me, didn’t you?” Levi whispered. “By using me, you could atone for all your sins by avenging your mother. You’re a fool. This is not what she would’ve wanted.”

The silence that drifted through was jarring. Levi couldn’t see Eren’s eyes, nor his expression in the murkiness of the darkened waters.

“What more would I have to live for, Captain?” Eren’s voice was quivering. “My home is gone. My family is gone. At the very least, I can kill the monster who destroyed it all…and then what? I have nothing left to live for…Levi.”

Eren’s words pierced an arrow of rage into Levi’s heart, lighting it up in fury and desire. He clenched his fists, unable to find reason in the boy’s naivety.

“Then, I’ll give you something to live for, brat,” Levi growled.

Ferociously, he grabbed Eren’s cheeks and pulled him towards him, kissing him fully on the mouth. It was the first and last underwater kiss he would ever experience, and it was phenomenal. Everything was salty, but he couldn’t tell if it was because of the water or if Eren had been crying. He could barely comprehend anymore, with the way his heart was burning in his chest. He wanted to portray this feeling to Eren.

“Live for me, Eren,” Levi whispered as he clutched the merman’s cheeks. “Live for me, because I can’t live without you. We can do this together, I promise.”

“Levi…” He was whimpering.

“When you left me, I thought I was going to collapse and die right then and there. I was out of my right mind for the entirety of the time you were gone. And likely never would have been again if you hadn’t come back. I need you to live for me, Eren. _I need you_. Eren…”

He leaned in for another kiss, this time gently, allowing Eren the opportunity to pull away. He didn’t. Their lips fit perfectly into another, soft and moist with sensation.

“… _I love you._ ”

Though it was spoken in merely a whisper, the words drifted through the empty space, echoing through the cave walls. If Eren wasn’t crying before, there were certainly tears now, and Levi did everything he could to kiss them away with his lips before they flowed out into the waters.

“Levi...I…I…” Whatever Eren was about to say dissolved into the subtle kisses and touches they were exchanging with one another. For a moment, just a moment, they allowed themselves to forget about where they were, what they had to do. They fell into a fanciful illusion, taking them back to the peaceful, beautiful moments from when they had first met on the island.

At last, they pulled apart. Giving themselves a moment to clear their mind from the passionate haze, they gazed at each other tenderly, wordlessly, before Eren spoke up again.

“Levi…thank you,” he said. “I’ll wait for you indefinitely.”

Levi clutched Eren’s hand to his chest, wrapping his warmth around the slender fingers. “You don’t have to wait,” he replied. “I’m already here for you. Now we’ve got a sea witch to catch together, don’t we?”

Eren smiled. “Yes…we do.”

At that moment, a startling rumbling disrupted their conversation. Levi’s eyes widened as a cloud of black ink spurted out from where they were standing, clouding them in darkness and prohibiting from finding the way out. He felt a sudden sense of discomfort in his throat, as an overwhelming force wrenched him apart from Eren within a second.

“EREN, SHE’S HERE!” Levi yelled. He looked around, but Eren was nowhere to be seen.

Levi flailed around the darkness for awhile, heading this way and that in hopes of looking for Eren. After what felt like an eternity, he prepared to expect the worst.

In the midst of his distraction, he noticed something shining in front of his eye. Before he knew it, a sharp violet blade of dark magic was hurtled in his direction, scarring his arm and barely hitting as he thought quickly and dodged out of the way. Clutching his arm, he looked quickly back in the same direction and thought he could see a strand of silver hair.

Levi pulled out a dagger hidden in his belt and started swimming against the cave walls cautiously.

_I have to find Eren._

But it seemed hopeless, within this cloud of pitch blackness. He yelled as he dodged yet another blast in his direction, this time fully feeling the scorching heat left behind as he hit the rock wall behind him.

A distorted voice surrounded him. “You’re mine, captain…all mine…” Levi turned around reflexively, as it sounded as if it was right next to his ear.

“EREN, WHERE ARE YOU?!” he yelled desperately, not expecting a response.

To his surprise, a familiar voice came from the direction he had just came from.

“Captain! Help! I’m over here!” It was doubtlessly Eren’s voice.

Levi’s heart pumped with adrenaline. “Wait, Eren! I’m coming!” He was focused. So awfully focused on Eren’s voice. He would do anything, anything to protect him at this point.

So focused, that he failed to notice that the magic blasts had stopped coming, and the mist of darkness was starting to fade for some reason.

Levi suddenly saw a sight that nearly knocked all the air out of him.

“Captain…” Eren coughed. “Please…help…”

Eren’s eyes were barely open, his body sprawled on the floor of the cavern. The scales of his tail were torn, revealing red patches beneath. There was blood dripping from his mouth and spewing out from all over his upper body. He clutched his arm, hacking and coughing as spasms of pain seem to tear through his body.

“EREN!” Levi yelled, feeling his heart stopping. He sprang over to the merman’s body as fast as he could, tossing his dagger aside.

He knelt down next to the body, turning it so it laid on his back. He kept himself vigil, aware of any possible attacks to his backside. The merman’s eyes were completely closed by now, and his breathing was starting to become horribly uneven.

“Hang on, Eren…we’ll make it through this, I promise,” he whispered, his voice broken.

“LEVI, NO!”

Levi froze. That voice was definitely Eren’s.

But it certainly did not come from the body lying in front of him.

At that moment, the merman’s eyes flashed open. Terror washed through Levi as he realized.

The eyes were not green.

They were a dark violet, with red pupils.

“I got you, captain,” the doppelganger sneered.

The fake Eren’s arm extended grotesquely and grabbed onto Levi’s neck pushing him against the cavern wall and knocking all the air out. Levi gasped as the twisted merman’s face slowly elongated, his features feminized and his hair turning silver. The hand around his neck morphed into a claw-like apparatus, beginning to cut through the skin of his neck.

He suddenly saw a blue light evaporating from his throat, and falling straight into the Sea Witch’s unoccupied hand. His eyes widened in horror as he realized she was sucking all of his underwater breathing power out of him, ultimately drowning him to death. He felt his breath leave him at a horrifying speed.

The witch merely cackled gleefully, now reverted to her original form.

“You’ll be a grand prize, captain!” she laughed, her voice distorted. “To think you were foolish enough to throw it all away for a silly merman.”

Levi was hacking and coughing, his lungs feeling like they were about to burst. He had mere moments left.

_No…I promised Eren…_

“You’re done for, captain!”

A sudden flash of green. A deafening scream.

Before Levi knew what was going on, he was on his knees on the cavern floor, hacking up a furious cough. He glanced over and saw the sea witch’s body crumpled on the side, a sharp shard of rock plunged deep into her chest. She was still moving, shaking, clutching her chest in pain, her expression livid.

But her attention was no longer focused on Levi.

“YOU SCOUNDREL! AFTER ALL I’VE DONE FOR YOU!” she screeched, as her arms recoiled in another direction.

Levi’s eyes widened. He had to act fast. He glanced over and saw the dagger which he had so carelessly discarded earlier.

Harnessing his remaining amount of energy, he rushed over to the dagger as fast as he could, his heart beating insanely as he felt the seconds tick by. The witch was charging her blast, and he could tell, there was no avoiding this one.

He clutched onto the dagger and lunged at the witch’s backside.

 _I’ll wait for you indefinitely…_ Eren's last words.

Levi cringed. _He couldn’t have meant..._

His eyes flashed in agony. It was too late.

The witch recoiled her arm backwards.

“EREN! NO!”

The cavern was shrouded in a dark and purple light before the dagger pierced through flesh.

~<

Broken bottles, tattered banners and faded confetti littered the town’s run down roads, the only remnants of the week that had passed by. And it was exactly a week ago, when a valiant captain returned upon these shores, bringing with him the head of a sea witch as he walked majestically out of the ocean, like an image from an ancient tale.

The king was in hysterics, praising the captain again and again for his exceeding of expectations. The kingdom itself threw a grand party, honouring the captain and his loyal crew, showering them with gifts and rewards. The lights shone ablaze and didn’t turn off once in that entire week. Every tavern and pub was packed, every ballroom booked out and occupied. Either everyone were merely thirsty for a reason to celebrate, or they were all grateful that the captain’s efforts had finally been recognized.

Naturally, the captain himself was rewarded most fittingly by the king, who offered him a knighthood as well as his own castle and a plot of land elsewhere in the kingdom, alongside a hefty amount of gold. The town was shrouded with new whisperings of other rumours when news broke out that the captain had declined all except the knighthood. Speculations as to why he had done so became the talk of every gossip circle for the next month. Some concluded he was merely cocky. Others thought that there was another person influencing his actions, perhaps a lover.

And so after a week, the hype had finally faded, and everyone had more or less returned to their former routines.

Levi walked on the empty streets alone, his boots crushing the broken glass and torn paper beneath. Though the festivities did their best to ease his mind, it was nowhere near enough to allow him to forget, even a little. This time, no amount of alcohol could weaken the pain. If anything, it only intensified his hazy memories.

_I’ll wait for you indefinitely…_

Levi clutched a hand to his chest.

 _So that was what he meant._ His eyes quivered against his will, as he stared at the earthy ground beneath his feet.

_He never meant to live…all along. Even after I...  
_

Levi closed his eyes, barricading the tears that would flow out otherwise.

He suddenly felt a comforting hand on his shoulder.

“Oi, captain, why do you look so down?”

Levi turned around to see Hanji standing there, an unusually comforting smile on her face.

“I would ask if something happened but judging from the attitude you've been upholding for the past week I think the answer’s obvious enough,” said Hanji.

Levi sighed. “I don’t mean to be rude or anything but…I’d really rather be alone right now.”

Hanji slapped him on the back. “Don’t sound like such a social outcast. You’ve got the whole kingdom celebrating your name! Cheer up a little! At least, _pretend_ to be happy.”

“Do you need something, Hanji?” Levi asked.

“Yes, as a matter of fact. You still owe me that drink you promised,” Hanji grinned.

“Haven’t you been guzzling yourself brain dead for the entirety of this past week already?” Levi mentioned.

“None of which has been paid for by you!” she said gleefully. “Now come on! Let’s get your mind off all this depression...and whatever’s causing it.” She grabbed Levi’s arm and proceeded to drag him away. To both of their surprises, he was obedient.

Before long, Levi found himself seated inside a very familiar tavern, smelling of wood and salty air. He was slightly perturbed as he realized that it was the very tavern he had stormed out of the day before he reconciled with Eren.

Before he had suggested that atrocious mission.

Levi slumped on the bartop, startling Hanji with his blatant moping.

“Hanji, could we go to another place? Please?” Levi tried.

Hanji appeared concerned, yet unfazed. “Why? You know this is my favourite place around town. OI~! GET ME TWO OF THE USUAL! PUT IT ON THE CAPTAIN'S TAB.” She took a seat next to Levi. “Why? Did something happen here?”

Levi rubbed his forehead with his curled-up palm tiredly. “Can’t you at least pretend to be concerned _before_ you order the drinks?”

Hanji’s smile evaporated temporarily, but was replaced with a more sympathetic one as held Levi’s shoulders in comfort.

“Come on, captain,” she cooed.

“Don’t call me that,” Levi growled.

“That’s what you are, is it not?” Hanji smirked. “Come on. This place has the best stuff around town.” The corners of her lips rose even more as two large mugs of bubbling, golden liquid were settled down in front of her.

“You’re a tyrant, you know that?” Levi groaned, though not hesitating to grab the mug and sip it at once. “But seriously, do you honestly think I haven't tried drinking it away yet?"

“Not with me, you haven’t,” Hanji winked.

Before Levi knew it, he had already drained the first mug, and had called the bartender over for more. As the clock ticked by, he was somehow distracted by Hanji’s lighthearted topics of conversations, and managed to go through another three mugs before he even knew what was going on.

When dusk had arrived, Hanji was already out cold on the table, while Levi was still sluggishly waving for one more mug. As he gulped down another hefty amount, he somehow felt relaxed, felt enlightened, though an irking part of him told him that he was forgetting about something awfully important.

But it didn’t matter anymore.

He chugged the last bit and like Hanji, collapsed on the table, closing his eyes for a moment.

“Look who the waters brought back,” said a familiar feminine voice.

Levi slowly squeezed opened his eyes hazily and recognized the lady who had talked to him last before he left in a rage. The sight of her blonde locks and charming smile flooded him with the memories that he had tried so hard to forget. Depression washing over him like a wave, as Levi slumped down onto the table. The misery lacing itself into his dazed state was no lovely combination.

“What are you doing here?” he slurred, though his voice was still miraculously steady to an extent.

The fair bartender refilled his mug. “First of all, I work here,” she quipped. “Second of all, I came to congratulate you.”

“What for?” Levi moaned slowly. “All I did was get the person I love the most in the whole wide world devoured by a stupid sea witch.”

The pretty lady raised her eyebrows. “Oh? I don’t believe I’ve ever heard this before.”

“It’s none of your business!” Levi snapped suddenly. “I can’t even do anything right. I couldn’t even protect him!”

“Sounds like a tragedy to me,” the woman replied. “Even if this simply does end up being drunken blabber, I do pity you, having to either experience or vividly imagine such a traumatic situation.”

“He’s real! I’m telling you!” Levi cried on as he drank yet another huge amount. “He’s got hair as smooth as silk and a childish, temperamental voice…and the most beautiful eyes in the world…oh, how they matched the colour of his tail.”

“Tail?” Clearly, the bartender was accustomed to hearing her many customers' “troubling stories” as she kept a perfectly straight face. “You’re a bit of a mess, aren’t you, captain? You’re lucky you brought home that witch’s head…I’m pretty sure it’s the only thing left keeping your sanity intact.”

“Insane I may be…but I got the whole kingdom celebrating my name,” Levi drawled on, slumping on the bartop again.

She smirked. “Don’t be so sure. I heard there’s been a new fellow showing up who might even be more of a looker than you are.”

“Who’s this bastard?”

The bartender shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve never seen him myself. Apparently, he’s only showed up here once or twice. Rumour has it that he has the most captivating green eyes that anyone’s ever seen.”

“ _Tch_. Sounds like some cheapskate from a neighbouring town to me,” Levi mumbled. “Who does he think he is? Waltzing in here and trying to steal our women. You don’t let him near you, you hear me?”

“That’s one promise I can’t hold you to. It really does depend on…you know... _how true the rumours are._ ”

“Really? You’re gonna throw me away for some dangly scumbag you’ve never even met before?”

“Don’t get me wrong, Levi, you’ll always be the captain of our tavern. But you’ve already got a lover, apparently. And I’m not a fool to give away a strapping young lad before I’ve even seen him.”

“Hmm. In the end, you’re shallow just like all the others. I’m disappointed.”

“Levi!”

At that moment, their conversation was interrupted by the sudden strange reactions of the other customers in the tavern. Evidently, the presence of someone had caused the entire place to lower their voices in hushed whispers, as they mumbled and gossiped about the newcomer.

“Speak of the devil…” the pretty bartender said suddenly, her eyes widening at whoever it was at the door. Levi groaned and slumped his head, hiding his face. He was in no mood to confront this bastard now…whoever it was.

Gentle footsteps could be heard as he made his way across the tavern, headed towards the main bar where Levi and Hanji were slumped over. The crowd was apparently still quite occupied by him, whispering and talking continuously.

“C-can I help you?” came the bartender’s voice, in a pitch a lot higher than before. Levi scoffed from behind his arms. 

No voice could be heard, but apparently the mysterious person gestured towards something, as Levi could hear her giggling gleefully as she rushed away to grab something.

Suddenly, Levi felt a hand on his shoulder. He cringed, realizing it must belong to this new stranger. He felt his blood rise, ready to throw a punch at the bastard who dared to touch him so shamelessly.

“If you don’t remove your hand, I will fucking punch your teeth out,” he growled, without lifting his head.

“That’s a bit hostile, don’t you think?” a cheeky voice replied. There was something familiar about it, but Levi was way too drunk now to pinpoint it.

“OI, BASTARD. IF I HAVE TO LIFT MY HEAD I WILL FUCKING RIP YOUR TONGUE OUT,” Levi had raised his voice considerably, catching the attention of everyone in the room. He could even hear Hanji shuffling next to him.

“Oi…Levi…” he heard Hanji’s slurry mumbling. But Levi was too far gone to comprehend anything.

“BRAT. DID YOU HEAR WHAT I SAID?!” Levi roared once more. This time he could sense the presence of many others, and he was sure people were starting to gather in hopes of being able to spectate an upcoming fight.

And depending on how this bastard answered next, he just might give them one.

Levi’s ears perked.

“Lift your head then. Look at me,” came the confident response.

Levi’s knuckles cracked. He rose in a furry and pulled his fist back ready to throw the most powerful drunken blow he had ever thrown in his life.

It was as if he sobered up immediately.

Levi froze, unable to fully comprehend the sight in front of him. What he did know was that everyone was practically on their toes, waiting for him to throw the punch so they could have their nightly entertainment.

Green eyes. Brown hair. Pink lips which curved into the most dazzling smile upon the recognition.

“I’m back, Levi.”

That voice.

“Eren…” he spoke “Is that really you?”

“Yes, Levi. It really is me.”

But he was obviously different. For one thing, his tail was nowhere to be seen and he had legs now. He was dressed in a nice pair of form-fitting pants, his appearance one of a full-fledged human.

And another thing, he looked so, so much more beautiful than Levi last remembered.

_How…? Why…? Am I dreaming? Is this for real? What…?_

But all the questions failed to reach Levi’s lips. His heart was pounding rapidly, and he was suddenly swayed to do something else entirely.

“Eren…” he whispered, uncurling his fist and instead bringing his hand up clutch Eren’s cheek.

In wild abandon, Levi pulled Eren’s face in and kissed him hard on the lips, disregarding everyone else in the room. Though Eren’s lips were stiff at first due to the surprise, it wasn’t long before they melted into Levi’s, soft and pleasurable just as he’d remembered.

 _It’s Eren…it really is Eren._ He could never forget the taste of these lips in his lifetime. The salty tang. The pleasant sweetness. The mild bitterness. It was all there. He pushed himself further, letting himself be taken completely.

Everyone else in the tavern looked quite daze as the two men’s little session intensified. They had been expecting a fight, and their emotions went from disappointment to confusion to awkwardness when Levi suddenly just dove right in there. It wasn’t long before it was evident that both of them had completely forgotten about everyone else and displayed no signs of shame as they went along. When little noises started to become elicited, not many were bold enough to stay and watch.

Meanwhile, the blonde bartender gaped at the scene that was happening right of front of her as she stood next to Hanji, barely comprehending the situation.

At the same time, Hanji was the only one who looked completely disinterested. Either she was way too drunk to realize, or she was merely not surprised. She yawned, her following blatant comment making the bartender blush profusely.

“So that’s what he meant by ripping his tongue out.”

~<

When the fulfilling illusion had finally shattered, Levi and Eren found themselves standing in the middle of a tavern, arms tangled around with each other, their hair tangled and messy. Even their clothing was slightly disheveled. The few remaining people were still staring in disbelief, unable to erase the image of the two attractive men embracing right in front of them. The bartender was nowhere to be seen, and Hanji was once again fast asleep.

Levi grabbed Eren’s hand and nodded his head towards the door, gesturing for them to get out of here. Eren immediately obliged, hand in hand with Levi as they burst out the doors and into the crisp nighttime air.

For a while, they ran together, just like that. Aimlessly, wordlessly. It didn’t even matter so long as they were miraculously together. It was almost like a dream.

Before long, Levi found that they had somehow ended up at the same beach the morning he reunited with Eren. And when he looked at Eren, Levi knew he recognized it as well, as a nostalgic look appeared on his face. Smiling to himself, he decided to scoop Eren’s face up and plant a firm kiss on his lips again.

“You can stop kissing me so much now, Levi,” Eren murmured lovingly against the captain’s lips. “I'm real. It’s really me. I’m really here.” He clutched onto Levi’s wrists as his spoke, falling into Levi’s embrace despite his words.

“Frankly, I don’t think that’s the only reason why I’m doing this,” Levi spoke as he mouthed against Eren’s lips. “But…you have a lot of questions to answer, young man.”

Eren laughed peacefully at Levi’s pressing comment. He pulled on Levi’s wrists, guiding him so that they were both seated on the sandy beach, continuing their little exchanges and tender whispers in that manner.

It was a while before Eren pulled apart. “I’m surprised you didn’t figure me out actually, Levi,” he said. “I think I win the upper hand this time.”

“You kind of left me a traumatized mess,” Levi scoffed. “Call it what you will but I honestly thought you were dead.”

Eren smiled playfully as he caressed Levi’s cheek. “Looks like you’ve become rather dependent on me too, haven’t you?”

And so, amidst some occasional teasing, Eren told Levi the story of how he managed to escape the sea witch and transform into a human.

The potion which had allowed the transformation was given to him by the sea witch himself, shortly after their encounter in the cave.

“The black smoke was actually created by me,” Eren explained. “I brought the coral thinking it would be a good escape tool.”

In the midst of Levi’s confusion, Eren had found the sea witch and made a deal with her: the power to become a human in exchange for Levi’s life. The trade was simple: give him the common-age dark potion that had been used to transform mermaids into humans for ages and he would abandon the infamous captain. After all, the head of the notorious captain would be a phenomenal prize for any dark magician.

“You put me up for _bait_?” Levi gawked. “Wow, now I kind of regret everything.”

“Rude,” Eren stuck out his tongue. “Please. Calling you bait is comparable to saying a shark is good bait for catching seahorses. It was never a risk.”

“Eren, she almost made mincemeat out of me. _And you_.”

“Well, she was stronger than I thought, I guess…”

“God, you’re vexatious…Anyway, keep going, so how the hell did you escape?”

Eren started to dwelve into the histories of dark magic and potions, all of which he had accumulated through reading books at a younger age. He knew that there was only one potion that could ensure _irreversible_ transformation into human, and that potion itself had special properties to it.

“Its original purpose of creation was never to encourage the transformation,” he explained meticulously. “Rather, it was to be used as a last minute defense mechanism during the most desperate measures. People often forget this bit of history, as the potion is now often seen as a means of rebellion. The drinker of the potion would actually gain immunity for several moments, practically frozen it time. But when that effect wears off, their tail will also disappear and turn into legs.

“At first, the creators were not aware of its significance, only knowing that it caused the drinker to lose their tail as well as their ability to breathe underwater. As a result, it was viewed as an ultimate punishment: the price to pay for that moment of immortality. But it wasn't long after that humans started to became more prominent in the oceans, as sailors and pirates started commandeer into the seas and reveal the true identity behind this new appearance.

“People eventually started viewing the potion as a means of escape from their routinely lives. Rebellious teenagers started to consume it in hopes of discovering a new world and establishing romantic forbidden relationships with humans. Horrible consequences would occur when the users failed to get to the surface in time or suffered otherwise in their human forms. Naturally, the potion’s original purpose of temporary invincibility was faded through time, with only its negative, sinful connotations remaining. It was condemned to the dark realm before long. 

“Right before the sea witch blasted me with her magic, I quickly drank the potion. I survived the blast this way, and when I woke up, you were gone, since time pauses during the effects of immortality. And as well, I had legs.

“I made it to the surface in time and somehow by some miracle, I eventually made it to a shore. I didn’t have any clothes, I didn’t know how to walk, and I was utterly useless. Not to mention I was extremely fragile in my new body. Luckily, a kind, elderly lady found me and took care of me for a few days. She gave me nice clothes, fed me and even taught me how to walk.

“It was around this time when I heard of you, around four or five days ago that is. News had it that the famous Captain Levi had truly struck big this time, and his name was resonating all across the kingdom. My heart surged abruptly when I heard this, and I knew it was time to find you.”

“And here we are,” Eren finished with an endearing smile. He found himself face to face with a stunned Captain Levi, who was looking as if he was drunk all over again.

“You know…I’ve heard that reading books saves lives but _this_ …this brings it to a whole new definition,” Levi commented. “…you’re brilliant, Eren.”

Eren flushed at the compliment.

“How did you even convince the Sea Witch to give you the potion?” Levi asked.

“Something about former friendship,” replied Eren. “But it was mostly about having your skin plastered on her cave walls that got to her.”

“You’re horrible.”

“Perhaps. But it all worked out in the end.” He leaned forward and pecked Levi on the lips again.

Levi stared distantly for a while. “You think you’re gonna miss it?”

“Hmm?”

Levi nodded towards the waves rushing by in front of him. “The ocean, of course,” he said. “I couldn’t give up my ship for you…yet here you are, throwing everything away, knowing that you can’t return. Ever.”

Eren followed the Levi’s gaze out into the distant, where the pitch black waters was only lit up by the moon and stars. As ecstatic as he was that Eren was sitting right there beside him, Levi felt a tiny pang in his heart when he realized he would never again see Eren flicking his long, green tail in annoyance. Or even see him glide gracefully in and out of the waters ever again, diving and flying freely and peacefully with laughter in his eyes. It was, after all, the form of Eren he had first fallen for. 

“Of course, I’ll miss it,” Eren finally responded. “But…I have nothing left for me in that ocean anymore.”

“What do you mean?”

“I told you before. I have nothing left there. What I do miss back there…they aren’t tangible things anymore. I miss the memories I used to have in my village, with my mother and my friends. It’s more of a nostalgic thing. And whether I’m on land or in the ocean…they’re all irretrievable anyhow.”

“But how? How can you just leave like that?”

Eren paused before answering. He turned to look at Levi, capturing him with his emerald eyes, just like the first time they met so many months ago.

“Because I love you, Levi,” he whispered. “I love you so much, even before you even knew me. I’d heard of you and admired you from afar. I pretended I didn't know you so that I could properly seduce you. And when you told me my life was a necessity to yours…how do you think I could I ever pick anything over you, ever again?”

In one sudden movement, Eren pushed Levi to the sandy ground and started kissing him all over. He started with the lips, then moved to the cheeks, then the eyes and then the neck. He started undoing the cravat a little to give him more space, before he moved back to the lips all over again.

“To think I’d be dead now, if it weren’t for you…” Eren whispered.

“Don’t say stupid things, you brat…” Levi gasped from beneath him.

“You saved my life, Levi…I’m eternally indebted to you. I belong to you now, Levi. My life is yours.”

Levi entwined his fingers into Eren’s brown locks, twisting and curling them playfully. “You say such burdensome things.”

“Mmm. Get used to it, captain.”

“Don’t call me that.”

“Fine then… _Levi_.”

And once again, they became lost within each other’s embrace, with only the moon and stars as their witness. Levi felt a surge of peace rush through his body that he hadn't felt in a long time, lying there with Eren in his arms. And he was so sure that Eren felt the same as his lover nuzzled against his chest lovingly. 

And for the first time in forever, the ocean surface was finally tranquil and serene, not an agitated wave to be seen. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was so going to totally procrastinate posting this today but then I was like, oh hey, it's New Year, so I might as well and also take this opportunity to say  
> HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE!! :DDD
> 
> I hope you liked this. It took months of procrastinating on my English essays to finish. I just went through this phase where was totally enthralled by the merman!Eren and merman!Levi pictures on tumblr and I was like I HAVE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT and now here we are. Four months later.
> 
> Anyways, thank you for reading until the end. I know it was rather long for a oneshot but I have a lot of emotions. And I also imagine Eren and Levi making out a lot in my spare time. don't judge meh. ):
> 
> I'll be uploading a little bonus omake chapter probably tomorrow so....stay tuned, I guess? 
> 
> thankyu and happy new year! <333


	2. bonus~! :3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a little extra scene I wrote.
> 
> Think of it as an omake if you will ~ :3

After what felt like a long walk, the two finally arrived to Levi’s house by the edge of the town. It was humble and not very roomy, yet homey. He seldom ever spent time it in as he was always at sea, but it seemed that he had to make an exception today.

“God, why the hell are you like ten times heavier in human form?” Levi groaned as he carried Eren on his back.

“How the hell am I supposed to know?” Eren argued back. “Legs are so inconvenient.”

“Don’t insult my lower body, brat,” said Levi. “Just give it some time. Get used to it.”

“I couldn’t even walk all by myself to your house,” Eren whined.

“Relax, it’ll take some time. I’ll teach you how to use your legs.”

Eren remained silent while Levi opened the door and walked inside his home. Walking to his bedroom, he practically threw Eren onto his bed, finally collapsing next to him tiredly.

“Ow! What is this?!” Eren exclaimed, hitting the bed with his palm. “It’s so hard! Do you sleep on this?”

“What do you usually sleep on?” Levi asked, his face still pressed into the mattress.

“Sponges.”

Levi sighed tiredly, sitting up to remove his outer clothes. “Well, it looks like you’re in for a rough night.”

Eren was staring at him. “What are you doing?”

“Undressing,” he replied, pulling off his cravat after he had folded his jacket up neatly. “It’s what we do so we can sleep more comfortably.”

“…should I do it too?”

“If you want,” Levi was exasperated, the alcohol finally starting to  _really_ hit him. He fell back onto the bed, pulling up his blanket and wrapping it around himself, ready for a good night’s sleep.

However, as soon as he closed his eyes, he realized the rustling noises behind him had been going on for quite a while now. He squeezed his eyes open slightly and dared to look over to where Eren was.

His eyes bulged open immediately.

“OI, BRAT! NOT THAT MUCH!” he yelled suddenly.

Eren turned around clutching his half-way opened shirt around his chest, staring back in terror at Levi, as if he had done something horribly wrong. His pants were already pooled down around his ankles, signifying that the shirt was the only thing left on him.

“You…told me to undress,” Eren quivered, not sure if something horrendous was going happen now. If he hadn’t been so terrified, perhaps he would’ve noticed that strange glint in Levi’s eyes.

“Just…just put your trousers back on,” Levi said, his voice shaky for some reason. His face was bright red, but he seemed incapable of tearing his eyes away from Eren, who nervously and shyly pulled the beige pants back up around his new slender thighs, covering them up again inch by inch.

Levi gulped, finally tearing his eyes away and flipping around so his back was turned to Eren.

When Eren was done fastening his pants again, he climbed back into bed beside Levi. Levi could feel Eren shifting this way and that on the bed, trying to find a comfortable position. He finally settled on facing Levi’s back, so that Levi could feel a tremble down his spine _every single time_ Eren breathed on him.

 _I’m totally not getting any sleep tonight_. Levi thought sadly.

“Levi?” came Eren’s voice suddenly.

“What is it, Eren?”

He heard another shuffling noise, signifying that Eren had sat up on the bed.

“Can I…hug you? While I sleep?” Eren asked nervously. “It might be more comfy that way.”

Levi sighed. “Go ahead.”

As soon as he had given the consent, Levi immediately realized his mistakes. His eyes popped open as he felt Eren’s thin fingers trail onto his body, snaking across his waist and dancing around his abdomen before they finally clasped into place. It was only another second before Eren’s entire body was pressed up against him, every curve and corner against his back. Eren’s lips were now less than centimetres away from his neck, the breathing so much more prominent than before.

Levi couldn’t take it anymore.

He suddenly bolted upwards, startling Eren. Hurriedly, he crawled back into a sitting position.

“Levi?” Eren was concerned. “Is everything alright?”

“Oi, Eren,” Levi said quickly, his eyes piercing into Eren in a peculiar manner.

“Yes?” Eren looked so innocent, so clueless that it almost made Levi feel guilty.

Levi’s eyes flickered, barely hesitating.

“How about I teach you a great way to use your legs right now?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. ^^  
> Hope that wasn't a little to risque :P


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